Highlights from January 2025 VA Fireside Chat

The Fireside Chat, introduced last year, aims to deliver timely updates and insights directly from key areas of VA Education Services. These sessions continue to provide a vital platform for School Certifying Officials (SCOs) and the broader military-affiliated education community to stay informed and connected.

Below, you’ll find a summary of my notes from the most recent Fireside Chat. While I’ve captured the key points, I may not have covered everything, so feel free to share additional thoughts or topics I missed in the comments. I’ll be publishing a follow-up post that takes a closer look at the Dole Act and its potential impact on schools and students.

Joe Garcia: Updates on VET TEC and Memo to School Leadership

• New VET TEC Program: Exciting news for veterans looking to enter high-demand tech careers through innovative training opportunities. More to come.
• Upcoming VR&E Session: Vocational Readiness & Employment (VR&E) will be holding an information session on March 26th at 1:00 PM to share information and resources specific to VR&E. Email invitations will be sent out closer to the event.
• Memo to School Leadership: A critical memo was announced and has since been sent to school leadership. A copy of the letter was provided to SCOs via Gov Delivery yesterday (1/27/25). The letter covers:
  • SCO-to-Student Ratio Recommendation: The VA recommends one full-time School Certifying Official (SCO) for every 125 GI Bill students. While many schools have made progress toward this goal, others still exceed this ratio significantly.
  • Rudisill v. McDonough Decision: The Supreme Court’s ruling now allows eligible veterans to access up to 48 months of combined benefits from the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) and Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB), impacting over a million veterans.
  • Dole Act Legislation: Recently signed into law, the Dole Act includes over 90 provisions expanding benefits for veterans and their families.

Joe Garcia also mentioned a pilot program targeting schools with a high ratio for additional SAA supervisory visits. I was surprised to not see this mentioned in the letter and hoped it could provide more “teeth” to the ratio. If meeting the ratio is an issue, it might be worth discussing the potential for additional SAA supervisory visits with your school’s leadership.

Question for Readers: Is your school working to stay within the 1:125 ratio? What challenges or successes have you experienced in meeting the ratio?

Dr. Nicole Morant: Supporting Veterans During Emergencies

• Wildfire Response in California: Beneficiaries potentially affected by wildfires received email updates to ensure they’re informed about their benefits and options.
• SVA Conference Success: The recent SVA NATCON was a hub for student veterans, featuring numerous sessions and offering hands-on help with VA benefit claims.
  • Note: I also attended SVA NATCON and had the opportunity to chat with several students. Many of them shared that NATCON is the go-to event for getting help with VA benefit claims. Something to keep in mind if your school sends students to future conferences.

Question for Readers: Did you attended SVA NATCON? If so, what resources or insights did you gain?

 L. Jeannie Daniel: Advancing Digital GI Bill Modernization

• New System Launched: The VA has rolled out a modernized system for claims processors, improving efficiency and user experience.
• Foreign School Certification Issue Resolved: A problem with certifications being sent to the wrong VA office has been fixed.
• Enrollment Processing Delays: An issue affecting 44,500 enrollments was identified, and a temporary fix has been deployed. A long-term solution is underway, with no anticipated impact on January payments.

Stephanie Logan: Training Opportunties for SCOs

• NTT 2025 Training Calendar
• Highlights:
  • SCOOP for New SCOs: There are several training sessions planned specifically for new SCOs. These sessions are specific to the school’s type (IHL, NCD, OJT/APP, Flight) and invitations are sent directly to new SCOs. Contact the National Training Team (NTT) at [email protected] for more information.
  • Webinar on Dual Degree, Double Majors & Dual Objectives: Don’t miss this webinar on February 13th, designed to clarify dual objectives, major selection, and related topics. Check out Sierra Jones’ SCO Central blog post regarding dual objectives.
  • Recordings: The NTT will post recordings of their training events on their Schools Webinars Playlist. 

Question for Readers: Are you planning to attend these training opportunities? What additional training topics would you find helpful? Does your institution have dual objectives and have you considered what you will do if anything to meet the changes coming?

James Ruhlman: Staying on Top of Compliance and Communication

• 35% Exemption Reapplication: Institutions must reapply for the 35% exemption every two years, ideally 30-60 days before expiration.
• Expansion of the ELR Role: The activities and responsibilities of ELRs has evolved a lot over the last few years. They are no longer restricted to a single state and instead the workload can be shared across regions. The role will expand to include:
  • ELR Liaison Visits: virtual or local informal sessions to provide information, training, and technical assistance needed by the institution/school.
  • Quarterly SCO Round Tables/Virtual State Events
  • Increased Collaboration with SCO Hotline
  • Enhanced SCO Communications
• Improvements to the Ask VA system were discussed, with a focus on response times and the quality of answers provided.

Question for Readers: How has your experience been with the Ask VA system recently? Are response times and quality meeting your expectations? What are your hopes and/or expectations for the expansion of the ELR role?

Your Voice Matters

I hope this summary proves helpful for SCOs who were unable to attend and provides some valuable insights. My goal is that it sparks further conversation, fostering shared ideas and solutions as we work together to navigate the challenges of supporting our military-affiliated students. Feel free to share your thoughts or questions in the comments—let’s continue the discussion!

Together, we can ensure the best possible outcomes for our nation’s veterans.