Press Releases

Last week, Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) month housing allowance (MHA) stipend for student veterans who attend classes online during the summer semester.

The bill, H.R. 5702, the Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act, would increase the monthly housing allowance for veterans taking online classes during the summer semester at their college or university. Under current law, in-person students currently receive the full month housing allowance whereas their counterparts taking classes virtually only receive half. Full bill text is available here.

“As our service members transition to civilian life and pursue educational opportunities, they should have full access to all the benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Rep. Ciscomani. “In response to the growing prevalence of virtual classes, this legislation seeks to eliminate the disparity in benefits between in-person and online student veterans.”

The Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act is supported by several Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Student Veterans of America, and AMVETS.

Read more about Rep. Ciscomani’s work on H.R. 5702 in Military Times here.