Federal Budget Cuts are Derailing Education Funding for Veterans in Virginia

Key Takeaways: 

• VA cuts are delaying GI Bill payments and reducing stipends, making it harder for veteran students to complete their education.

• Last year, the Supreme Court ruled veterans can access full GI Bill benefits.

• Virginia is suing the VA for failing to comply with the ruling.

Veterans have fulfilled their duty to the nation, but many now find that the government is not

fulfilling its duty to them. Funding cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Trump administration are disrupting GI Bill benefits, making it harder for student veterans to complete their education. In response, Virginia has filed a lawsuit arguing that the VA is failing to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling that veterans who qualify for both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills are entitled to the full benefits of each program. 

National Challenges with GI Bill Benefits

The GI Bill has long been one of the most significant commitments the United States makes to those who served, covering tuition, housing, and other education-related costs. But veterans and their advisers now report widespread problems: tuition payments are delayed, housing stipends are reduced or arrive late, and eligibility rules remain unclear.

Jeff Deickman, assistant director for veteran and military affairs at the student veteran center of the University of Colorado says it’s been taking at least three times longer for students to receive benefits due to federal government staffing cuts since President Donald Trump took office. He says, “I can spend, on bad days, three hours on the phone with the VA, they’ll only answer questions about one student at a time, so I have to hang up and start over again.” His colleagues at other universities say the VA’s paperwork often has errors, causing further delays. They say some students are dropping out. 

The frustration is evident in veterans’ online posts.“I just wish I could speak to someone who could help but all of the reps seem to be unable to assist and simply tell me to reapply, which I have 4x, just for another denial,” said one veteran on Reddit, about attempts to have a student loan forgiven.  

The VA has announced plans to cut nearly 30,000 jobs by the end of September, which will only strain services more and make these problems worse for veterans across the country. 

The Supreme Court’s Decision

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Army veteran James Rudisill, deciding that veterans who qualify for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill should be able to use the full benefits of each. The decision clarified that veterans who have separate qualifying service periods are entitled to more than the 36-month cap the VA had been enforcing.

Many veterans groups say the VA has been slow to implement the ruling in practice, leaving veterans uncertain about what benefits they can expect.

Virginia’s Lawsuit

In response to the VA’s inaction, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing the agency is not applying the Supreme Court’s ruling as required. The case is part of Virginia’s broader effort to protect education benefits for veterans in the state, but it could set a precedent for veterans across the country.

Miyares has said the goal is simple: to ensure that veterans who qualify under both GI Bill programs receive the full benefits of each, consistent with the Court’s decision. For now, though, veterans remain caught between administrative delays, budget cuts, and legal uncertainty—all of which continue to disrupt access to the education benefits they have earned by serving our nation.