An overwhelming number of Veterans have been applying for use of the GI Bill to pay educational expenses causing delays for students in receiving their Department of Veterans Affairs funds. Students in the central United States who are using the funds for the first time are experiencing delays of up to 8 weeks in receiving the money, twice as long as it typically takes. The delay is primarily taking place at the St. Louis claims-processing center. To alleviate the strain, the Department of Veterans Affairs has diverted all of the St. Louis Center’s calls to Oklahoma in an effort to allow the St. Louis center time to catch up with the claims.

As of February 4, 2006 more than 128,000 claims were waiting to be processed. Some veterans are expressing concerns that this is the funding they live on while in school. Veterans Affairs education funds provide veterans up to $1,034 a month while there are attending school. Currently more than 500,000 veterans and eligible dependents participate in the VA education benefits program.

Backlogs are also increasing because of the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (also called Chapter 1607) that allows reservists who were activated post September 11, 2001, to apply for education payments of up to $827 per month retroactive to 2001. Department of Veterans Affairs officials have said they think nearly all retroactive requests have been filled.

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