11/10/98
ATHENS, Ohio --The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has ruled Ohio University students eligible for veterans benefits will not receive their payments over the six-week, winter intercession break, Nov. 26, 1998 to Jan. 3, 1999, unless they enroll in course work during the intercession.
Three-hundred-and-forty students at Ohio University receive benefits averaging $400 a month when they are enrolled in classes, according to university Registrar Bill Jones.
Ohio University students eligible for veterans benefits had continued to receive educational assistance or subsistence allowances during the winter intercession following a 1977 executive order by President Jimmy Carter. Carter's executive order allowed veterans to receive benefits under an exemption if a university closed for a period of more than a month but less than 45 days to conserve energy.
Ohio University switched to its current six-week winter break in the 1977-78 academic year in an effort to conserve energy following energy shortages in the 1970s.
The VA recently informed university officials payments would not be made during the winter break.
"They have offered a number of reasons for discontinuing the payments," Jones said. "Their reasons have ranged from claiming the university is open during the intercession and therefore the exemption doesn't apply to claiming that the executive order that allows the exemption is outmoded. Their final rationale was that we have to prove once again we are actually saving energy, a task that originally took three years to complete."
University officials have spoken with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Reps. Bob Ney and Ted Strickland about the policy change. Ney's staff has drafted legislation to be introduced in the House in 1999 that would allow future payments to veterans over the intercession, Jones said.
"I applaud the bipartisan efforts of Congressmen Ney, Strickland and the Ohio Delegation to resolve this problem through legislation," said Vice President for Administration Gary North. "I am confident they will succeed in getting a corrections bill passed when the Congress reconvenes."
Letters from Jones are being sent to affected veterans, informing them of the change in federal policy. The university has adopted a number of options for veterans adversely affected by the ruling, including course work over the intercession that will allow veterans to continue to receive benefits, special scholarships and short-term emergency loans, Jones said.
History Professor Marvin Fletcher is offering a course on military history during the intercession.
"I appreciate the efforts of Bill Jones. He has implemented a short-run solution to assure that veteran students have an option to either enroll in an academic course that meets the requirements of the Veterans Administration or secure a short-term loan," North said. "The class is possible only because of the effort extended by Professor Marvin Fletcher. His willingness to offer, on such short notice, a class during the interim period is greatly appreciated."