Ewart

WASHINGTON, DC 20510

July 17, 2015

The Honorable Robert A. McDonald
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

US. Department of Veterans Affairs
310 Vermont Avenue, NW.
Washington, DC. 20420

Dear Secretary McDonald:

We are writing to bring to your attention allegations that a number of questionable
unaccredited educational institutions have received Bill bene?ts despite federal regulations
to prevent it, according to a report this week from the Center for Investigative Reporting. We
urge you to investigate these claims swiftly and to increase the Department of Veterans Affairs?
enforcement of its protections for veterans? education bene?ts.

Federal law permits unaccredited educational institutions to receive Post-9111 (3.1. Bill
bene?ts in limited circumstances to ensure veterans can access professional and trade school
expertise. The VA is charged with protecting our veterans from unscrupulous entities by
enforcing federal regulations allowing only those institutions whose instruction is ?consistent in
quality, content, and length? with accredited institutions. enforcement and oversight is
critical given over 2,000 unaccredited institutions have reportedly received more than $260
million in GI. Bill benefits between 2009 and 2014.

The report documents a number of educationally questionable, and in some instances
morally repugnant, institutions that have inexplicably received VA education bene?ts. These
include an unlicensed massage therapy school, an institute whose parent organization is a listed
hate group, and an institute on human sexuality claiming to be in possession of child
pornography. If true, this is a terrible failure of our promise to veterans and taxpayers. We urge
you to immediately and thoroughly investigate these allegations, and step up the 
enforcement of its regulations in partnership with state approving agencies.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

 

 

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin Richard Blumenthal

United States Senator United States Senator

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United States Senator United States Senator