Some Vets Feel Deceived by Army College Fund

An increasing number of war veterans are finding out that their Army College Fund is worth much less than they anticipated when they first enlisted.

Documents obtained by the Army Times reveal that the Army acknowledged in at least 91 cases that the enlistment agreements dealing with the fund were “blatantly misleading.” Despite this acknowledgement, many veterans were still denied appeals.

In 2009, Congress created an a one-year opportunity for veterans to seek relief and the Army paid out a total of $2.18 million to 86 applicants but since then has denied additional appeals, according to the Army Times.  

The Army Fund was established in 1982 to attract young people seeking a college education to join the service. However, some veterans believed that the fund was an added benefit in addition to the standard education benefit provided by the GI Bill, but many found out that this was not the case.

Earlier this month, Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced a new bill that would allow the Army to correct the “erroneous” amounts, this time from 2013 to 2015.

If you feel you have been misled by the Army, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if you may be able to pursue legal action. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.