NASFAA Joins Community Letter Raising Concerns Regarding Changes to 85-15 Rule
By Owen Daugherty, NASFAA Staff Reporter
NASFAA last week joined a letter along with more than a dozen organizations raising concerns regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) recent announcement of key changes to the 85-15 rule, specifically changes in the requirements for a 35% exemption.
The letter, addressed to chairs and ranking members of the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, notes that VA as part of the new application following the 85-15 reset, now requires institutions to provide 85-15 ratios for every program at the institution and to resubmit these calculations every two years. “We have heard from many campuses and senior veterans’ program administrators who are confused by the VA’s new requirements, which appear directly at odds with both the regulations and legislative intent,” the letter adds.
The recent changes to the 85-15 rule could adversely impact the benefits student veterans are eligible for, potentially halting their academic progress as well as reducing enrollment in addition to increased compliance obligations for institutions, according to the letter.
The organizations are urging the committee and subcommittee to carefully examine the policies in an effort to protect against any unintended consequences and to ensure that VA’s reset is consistent with congressional intent.
Publication Date: 3/23/2022
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