Dr. Joseph Wescott II, President, NASAA National Association of State Approving Agencies Role of State Approving Agencies History, Functions and Future

Dr. Joseph Wescott II, President, NASAA

National Association of State Approving Agencies

Role of State Approving AgenciesRole of State Approving AgenciesHistory, Functions and FutureHistory, Functions and Future

Congress passes the GI Bill in June of 1944

President Roosevelt signing the G.I. Bill of Rights, June 22, 1944


GI Bill HistoryGI Bill History

History of the GI BillHistory of the GI Bill“One of the finest education benefits ever devised”“One of the finest education benefits ever devised”

1776 Continental Congress approves measure to provide pensions to disabled soldiers

1943 Harry Colmery (WWI vet) writes 1st draft of new veterans education program on hotel stationery at Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.

Jan 1944 GI Bill of Rights introduced in Congress

Jun 1944 FDR signs GI Bill of Rights into law

1947 Veterans account for 49% of all college students

1952 Veterans Adjustment Act extends many benefits of original GI Bill to Korean War vets

1953 Original GI Bill ends; 7.8 million WWII veterans had participated in the program

A view of the Quonset huts used for temporary classrooms during the boom in the student population after World War II. This photo was taken in February 1948.

Photographs courtesy of Special Collections, NCSU Libraries.




Unexpected consequences…o 7.8 million veterans use GI Billo 2.23 million attend collegeo 3.48 million attend trade/business & high

schoolso 1.4 million on-job trainingo 690,000 on-farm training



Return on Investment…o 2.6 million skilled trades peopleo 1.375 million business peopleo 451,000 engineerso 238,240 teacherso 175,000 scientistso 66,000 doctorso 22,000 dentistso 12,000 nurses



GI Bill Beneficiaries…o Presidents, including Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush

o Senators: Bob Dole, George McGovern, Pat Moynihan

o Supreme Court Chief Justice: William Rehnquist

o Congressman: Charles Rangel

o At least 14 Nobel Prize winners

o Two dozen Pulitzer Prize winners, such as Frank McCourt

o Hollywood stars: Bill Cosby, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood



1966 LBJ signs Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act—extended benefits to veterans

serving during times of war and peace.

1973 Military draft ends, all volunteer force begins

1976 VRBA ends—6.8 million Vietnam-era veterans had used their benefits

1985 Congress introduces revamped GI Bill, the “Montgomery GI Bill”

Sen. “Sonny” MontgomeryMaj Gen, US Army (ret) National Association of

State Approving Agencies

Other organizations also played key roles in the success of the GI Bill(s) 1930 Congress authorizes formation of the Veterans

Administration—it consolidated numerous organizations supporting vets

1945 American Legion distributed 2.7 million copies of “Gateway to Opportunity”—explained VA benefits

1945 Congress recognizes responsibility of States to determine education of its citizens

Late State Approving Agencies (SAAs) created; 1940’soverseen by the Governor, but funded by the VA



SAA HistorySAA History


o Provided information on state approved programs to the VA

o By late 1940s and early 1950s, the SAAs were operating under specifically mandated federal standards, the Code of Federal Regulations, and providing approval and oversight activities. Role went from simple advisory to oversight.

o Became the primary source of assuring institutional accountability with specialized authorization to:o Approve & disapproveo Monitor education and training programs for veterans

o Began to assist states and the VA with exposing fraudulent and criminal activity involving the payment of veterans’ benefits.

SAAs in the 21SAAs in the 21stst Century Century

New Agencies , with roots in the past


SAASAA

State Approving Agencies help make the GI Bill work . . .

MissionMission


SAASAA

. . .ensuring that students know about and have access to well-managed, efficiently-run, educationally-sound programs that they can trust to help them succeed in meeting their vocational goals.

MissionMission


SAASAA

SAAs are seen as significant contributors to an effective and responsive education benefit program. . .

VisionVision


SAASAA

. . . where every eligible person makes good choices about education and training opportunities they can trust, and where every approved school and training establishment offers programs from which students can benefit and understands and successfully fulfills its obligation to support VA students and the GI Bill.

VisionVision


SAASAA

o SAAs have responsibility to review, approve and monitor ALL education programs/schools within their States.

o SAAs provide training and technical assistance to all schools, in cooperation with VA.

o SAAs assist veterans with school/program and GI Bill benefit information.

o SAAs assist VA with compliance surveys to insure institutional compliance.


The National Association of State The National Association of State Approving AgenciesApproving Agencies


By late 1940’s, SAAs were operating in nearly every stateoProvided approval and oversight activitiesoAuthority rested with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)oBut… nearly 50 distinct, geographically (and politically) isolated entities were occasionally providing inconsistent interpretation of regulations!

1948 – NASAA was formed to:oCreate professional and ethical standardsoExchange ideasoRepresent mutual interestsoProtect schools and veterans from fraud, waste, and abuse

NASAA HistoryNASAA History


o The National Association of State Approving Agencies works in cooperation with its partners: 1. To facilitate the efforts of the state approving

agencies to promote and safeguard quality education and training programs for all Veterans and other eligible persons

2. To ensure greater education and training opportunities that meet the changing needs of Veterans

3. To protect the GI Bill resources available for those programs

Mission Statement


NASAA HistoryNASAA History

The PlayersThe Players

o The “Triad”o VAo SAAo Institution/SCO

o Other playerso EDo DoLo FAAo Accrediting agencieso State L&C agencies

Mutual trust,Mutual dependence!

Mutual trust,Mutual dependence!


SAA & VACOSAA & VACO

o U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)o Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA)

o Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO)o VA Regional Processing Office (RPO) – Atlanta

o Education Liaison Representative (ELR) National Association of

State Approving Agencies

Secretary of Veterans AffairsRobert A. McDonald

Undersecretary for BenefitsAllison A. Hickey

SAA & VACOSAA & VACO

o Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO) Atlanta Buffalo St. Louis Muskogee

o Services provided Guidance Instruction Coordinates claims processing


It Takes A Team!It Takes A Team!

o SAA & VACO collaborate to o Interpret laws and regulationso Maintain integrity of programso Train the SCOso Encourage greater use of VA benefitso Help schools/training establishments better serve

veterans!


NASAANASAA

o The DVA estimates that the number of post 9/11 veterans will double over the next 20 years from 2.1 million to 4.1 million.

oMore than 200,000 service members are expected to transition from active duty service each year for the next five years.

o In the 2011-12 academic year veteran students averaged a 2.98 GPA and had a 90.5% success rate in earning college credits.

A New Era of Student Veterans


NASAANASAAA New Era of Student Veterans

o Student Veterans of America’s Million Records Projecto Track the academic outcomes of approximately 1 million student veterans.o Correlate on-campus services to high graduation rates.o Implement on-campus best practices at 1100+ SVA chapters across the US with the goal of increasing veteran degree attainment.


NASAANASAA

o National VA Online Complaint Systemo The centralized online reporting systemo Report negative experiences with educational institutions 1628 to dateo Identify and address unfair, deceptive, and misleading practiceso Ensure high quality academic and student support services

o VA Online Comparison Toolo Easier to calculate Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and learn more about VA’s

approved colleges, universities and other education and training programs across the country.

o http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/comparison_tool.asp

VA & NASAA Initiatives


NASAANASAA


“We are not mere clerks or bureaucrats. We are not just state employees drawing a federally funded check. We are educators. We are the engineers of excellence and the gatekeepers of quality. We will not fail in our commitment to safeguard the public trust, to protect the GI Bill and to defend the future of those who have so nobly defended us.”

WHO WE AREWHO WE ARE

Role of the SAA TodayRole of the SAA Today


Approvalso Evaluate educational programs for approval o Provide written evaluations and approvals to VA and the schools

Inspections and Compliance Survey Visitso Visit and inspect each active educational institution o Confirm compliance for approved courses and programs

Technical Assistanceo Respond to institutional and veteran requests for information and

assistanceo Provide written reports to DVA, as requested o Maintain records and files for the State

What We Do

SAASAA


NASAANASAA

o SAAs, as state agencies, believe states should approve schools and programs.

o Accreditation, while a good tool, is not the ONLY tool for approving programs.

o ALL schools need both consistent oversight and constructive technical assistance.

o TOGETHER we (Higher Ed and SAAs) serve those who served us!

Our Principles


NASAANASAA

Changing LawsChanging Laws Changing RolesChanging Roles


NASAANASAA

o The Post 9/11 GI Billo Public Law 111-377o President’s Executive Order 13607o Public Law 112-249o Latest Developments…

Changing Laws, Changing Roles


Post 9/11 GI BillPost 9/11 GI Bill

o Became effective on August 1, 2009

o A complex program! o Many levels of eligibilityo Confusing concurrent eligibilityo New benefits similar to original WWII GI Billo Difficult to understand and administer

o SAAs took on new “consultant/trainer” role


Public Law 111-377Public Law 111-377

o Became effective October 1, 2011

o Many positiveso More programs now covered by Post 9/11 GI Billo More potential beneficiaries

o A “Game-Changer” for SAAso Changed State/Federal approval authoritieso SAAs acquired new role of assisting VA with Compliance

Surveys



o Changed States’ authority to approve programs

o Accredited, non-profit degree programs “deemed” approved without continuing State review.

o States no longer processed approvals for public and non-profit private institutions.

o SAAs retained jurisdiction over for-profit schools and Non-College Degree (NCD) programs at all schools.



o Changed States’ role in Compliance Survey process

o Compliance Surveys were primarily an audit of federal entitlement program; focus shifted from academic programs (old “supervisory visits “) to more emphasis on finances (Note: Compliance surveys redesigned with NASAA’s help)

o Schools with deemed approved programs provided approval/change notifications to ELR with courtesy copy of catalog/forms to NC SAA


President’s Executive President’s Executive Order 13607Order 13607

o Signed by President Obama on April 27, 2012

o Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Memberso Ensure that educational institutions assist prospective students in

making right choices about how to use their Federal educational benefits.

o Prevent abusive and deceptive recruiting practices that target the recipients of Federal military and veterans educational benefits.

o Ensure that educational institutions provide high quality academic and student support services to active-duty service members, reservists, members of the National Guard, veterans, and military families.


Public Law 112-249, signed on January 10, 2013, mandates, among other things...

oA centralized mechanism for tracking/publishing feedback from students and SAA regarding quality of instruction, recruiting practices, and post-graduation employment placement of institutions of higher education.oSAA’s will share with accrediting agencies or associations information regarding the SAA’s evaluation of an IHL.

Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans


Approval ChangesApproval Changes

o Effective October 1, 2013, VA no longer accepted modification form—all requirements for approval go to state approving agency (SAA).

o All institutions submit an approval package to the SAA.

o All approval related concerns and questions come to the SAA.

Big Change Last Year


In State Residency for VeteransIn State Residency for Veterans

o H.R.357 – GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2014H.R.357 – GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2014

o S.1982 – Comprehensive Veterans Health and S.1982 – Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014Restoration Act of 2014

o S.2450 (H.R.4841) – Veterans’ Access to Care S.2450 (H.R.4841) – Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and through Choice, Accountability, and

Transparency Act of 2014Transparency Act of 2014

PassedPassed


New Law…New Law…

o Approval of courses of education provided by public institutions of higher learning for purposes of All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program and Post-9/11 Educational Assistance conditional on in-State tuition rate for veterans (Sec. 702.)

o Expansion of Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Sec. 701.)

o Congress passed and President signed – PL 113-146o Implementation ongoing

S.2450 (H.R.4841) – Veterans’ Access, Choice and Accountability Act 2014

Passed…Passed…

o Requirements for GI Bill recipients to receive in-state tuition rate: (A) A veteran who was discharged or released from a period of not

fewer than 90 days of service in the active military, naval, or air service less than three years before the date of enrollment in the course concerned.

(B) An individual who is entitled to assistance under section 3311(b)(9) or 3319 of title 38, United States Codes, by virtue of such individual's relationship to a veteran described in the above subparagraph (A).

H.R.4841 – Veterans’ Access, Choice and Accountability Act 2014 (Cont.)

The latest…The latest…

o Our continued partnership with SOC, VA and VSO’so Compliance Survey Redesign Working Group

(CSRWG) sunset 2014 after real achievements o Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) begins work this

January 2015o Congress revisits the Role of the SAAs in hearings and

with a new law to clarify and strengthen role of the states.

The Future…


NASAA, VA, and our other partners continue to work with Congress to inform the process.o Assist Members’ and Committees’ staffs with technical advice

and informationo Suggest combined proposals, bills

And we look forward to a continued partnership with you and further joint accomplishments next year!

Progress through PartnershipsProgress through Partnerships

HR 456 – Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2015oAllows CH33 to be used for application fees at IHLs

HR 475 – GI Bill Processing Improvement Act of 2015oPotential extension of deadline for implementing Section 702

HR 476 – The GI Bill Education Quality Enhancement Act of 2015oClarification and codification of approval authorityoCapping tuition and fees for flight programsoChanging requirements for Compliance Surveys

Pending LegislationPending Legislation

Thank you, and any questions?Thank you, and any questions?


Documents

Dr. Joseph Wescott II, President, NASAA National Association of State Approving Agencies Role of State Approving Agencies History, Functions and Future