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Military-Affiliated Education Legislation: Who Is Advocating for You?
HigherEdMilitary
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In a previous article, I highlighted options that higher ed institutions can implement to support active-duty service members and make their education dollars go further. Since its inception, the Servicemembers' Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill®, has paved the way for millions of military veterans to continue their academic endeavors following their service obligations. Without this legislation, many service members returning from combat would have been indigent and unable to contribute as productive members of society. At the time of its inception, the GI Bill® provided a weekly stipend to support these individuals. As circumstances have called for the bill's evolution, the benefits have been modified over time to meet the needs of today's service members, but who is advocating for these changes? What do they have to gain from supporting educational legislation which favors military-affiliated individuals? Let us take a look at some of the organizations that support military-affiliated education legislative initiatives.
National Association of Veterans' Program Administrators (NAVPA)
NAVPA is dedicated to helping our nation's veterans and their families achieve their educational goals. The organization supports the "rounding out" option for veterans, which allows students to continue to receive benefits at the full-time rate in their last term of enrollment, even though fewer credits are required to complete the program. Additionally, NAVPA is advocating for legislation that alleviates the requirement that institutions and students validate their eligibility for benefits each month, which increases the amount of time dedicated to procedural technicalities but reduces the available time that schools have to address more pressing issues that affect veterans.
National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services (NAIMES)
This is another group that promotes enhancing military-related educational programs. The organization published a white paper detailing the disparity in Military Housing Allowance (MHA) rates between in-residence and distance learning courses. The instruction method of the class is not inherently indicative of the rigor or workload associated with it. Therefore, NAIMES believes that all individuals entitled to education benefits under the Post-9/11 and Forever GI Bill® (Chapter 33) should be compensated equally for their MHA benefits. While this distinction was eliminated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a temporary solution for a long-term dilemma that needs a permanent resolution in favor of those accessing remote learning options.
Council of College and Military Educators
The Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) is a non-profit organization that advocates for the enhancement of military-affiliated educational programs. The organization's mission is to promote, encourage, and deliver quality education to service members and their families in all branches of the armed services. The CCME symposium, held annually, is a platform for over one thousand participants to network and partner in efforts to improve educational legislation efforts.
Service Specific Organizations
The Navy League of the United States was founded in 1902 and is a nonprofit civilian, educational, and advocacy organization that supports America's sea services: the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. In 2021, the organization hosted its first annual Legislative Affairs Forum and conducted a Legislative Affairs Breakfast to highlight the issues facing their target populations. The organization also interfaced with 127 members of Congress during an event known as The Hill Surge to bolster their position on legislative matters.
Other organizations, such as the Air and Space Forces Association and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), advocate on behalf of service members on various issues related to their respective services, but neither has detailed information pertaining to their education-related legislative efforts.
Organizational Benefits
Non-profits are designed to support disadvantaged or underserved populations, which in turn benefits society as a whole. These organizations are taking a significant step in shaping bills and laws that will have an immediate and definite impact on military-related educational benefits, processes, and procedures for years, and maybe generations to come. When these groups assist service members in attaining their educational goals, our society gains knowledgeable skilled talent that can contribute to the training and teaching of those following them. Military members and their families endure numerous challenges in reaching their academic endeavors, and sometimes they are unable to advocate for their own interests due to perceived limitations in questioning higher levels of authority (that would be Congress in this case). These organizations provide platforms for service members to voice their opinions through membership avenues and empower them to become more active in education legislation initiatives.
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