In This Issue:

CHICAGO 2004

The 2004 Conference Committee is pleased to announce that plans for the 29th Annual NAVPA conference are looking GREAT. If you have not already done so, please mark your calendars "GONE TO CHICAGO" from October 26th through the 30th, 2004.

The 2004 conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel O’Hare, Chicago Rosemont, IL. The hotel has given us an exceptional rate of $89.00 per night (single or double) plus appropriate state and local taxes, currently 12.5%. CALL AND MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW!!!!!!!!!! The toll free number is 800-333-3333,the number directly to the hotel is 847-297-8464. Please indicate that you are registering under "NAVPA Conference Block" to insure that you are given the rate for those attending the conference. To take advantage of this room rate, you must register by October 4, 2004. Register ASAP because reservations for CHICAGO will fill up quickly!!!!! The hotel is conveniently located just 2.5 miles north of O'Hare International Airport and 15 miles northwest of Downtown Chicago, with easy access to a number of major highways and public transportation. Courtesy transportation is available every 15 minutes from the airport to the hotel and vice versa 24 hours a day.

For those who will be driving, the Radisson is offering free parking. Chicago is one of the world's greatest tourist spots. Anything your heart desires is here: parks, museums, theaters, concerts, fine restaurants, jazz, blues, shopping, and nightlife. You can name what you want and claim it here in this great great city. The conference Committee has planned an exciting power packed informational conference as well as enjoyment for your pleasure.

The theme for this year's conference is "GOING THE MAGNIFICENT MILE." In keeping with this, the theme for the President's Reception is "THE EXTRA MILE IN MILITARY STYLE. Show your style by wearing your favorite military style, (tee-shirts, uniforms, BDU's, etc.).

“We will have lots of baffle raffles,
so please bring at least one gift.”

We will have lots of baffle raffles so please bring at least one gift prize from your school to be raffled off. The Conference Committee is working hard to make sure you have a great time in Chicago. If you, the members have suggestions and ideas, please feel free to let us know and we will do our best to implement them. We're excited and looking forward to seeing all of you in CHICAGO.

Fannie Jones Josie Adams 2004 Conference Chair 2004 Co-Chair 312-413-9699, 517-483-1170 (email) cfj0903@uic.edu or adms@lcc.edu

October is just the right time of year for fall foliage on Lake Michigan.

A message from the President of NAVPA

Dear Colleagues:

I want to take this opportunity to personally invite you to attend NAVPA’s 29th Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Once again, the Conference Committee has listened to your requests for special sessions and training needs and has made every effort to make it so. Please go to www.navpa.org to review the tentative agenda and register for the conference.

Because of the continued demand for training in veteran certification issues, specifically for “new certifying officials”, we have scheduled another NAVPA Basic Training Workshop to be conducted in Chicago, October 25, 2004, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (one day prior to the opening session). The cost of the workshop is included in the conference registration fee, however for those members who wish to attend the BTW only, the cost of the workshop is $75.00 ($100.00 for non-members).

Professionals from the VA Regional Processing Offices (RPO), National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA), VA Central Office Training, Illinois Regional Office and State Approving Agency, as well as NAVPA officials, will provide training and mentoring for new certifying officials.

“welcome our Australian colleagues
attending this year’s conference.”

We also invite you to help us welcome our Australian colleagues attending this year’s conference. Some of you may remember Tara Felton (Murdoch University, Murdoch Australia) from the 2002 NAVPA conference in Denver, CO. Thanks to Tara’s commitment to serving veterans, NAVPA testimonials and recruitment efforts in Australia, we expect about 20 other Australian schools to join us in Chicago. According to Tara they have set up their own self help group, working together to administer both financial aid and veterans benefits. Not only is this an exciting opportunity for all of us, this is the first time that they will meet each other.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our members and their families who have been affected by hurricanes, Charley, Frances, Ivan and now Tropical Storm Jeanne. I can certainly appreciate the anxiety and trauma these storms have inflicted.

While many of our offices have been closed due to these storms, be assured that Board members in other states are handling all NAVPA business and that the U.S. Mail has been reliable. For those that are worried about mailing conference checks at this time, please fax your conference registration and a copy of your check to Fannie Jones at 312-996-3101, or you can call her for additional information at 312-413-9699. Bring your original registration form and payment to the conference.

Have a safe trip – See you in Chicago!

Faith DesLauriers
NAVPA President

Legislative Update
By Dave Guzman

This has been one of the slowest legislative years for veterans education benefits enhancements; however, having said that, there are some initiatives that may not be completely dead. First, the Veterans Earn and Learn Act of 2004, HR 1716 is still on the table. This bill would modify entitlement to VA Education Benefits under Title 38 and expand the on-job training/apprenticeship programs. This bill is worthy of a letter of support to members of both the House and Senate from you and your veterans. Additionally, HR 1212 is still on the table albeit similar to a floating fish on the pond, is it dead or in need of CPR? We should sill make noise about this bill until the end of the 108th at least.

“I have seen some discussion in the Senate
on elimination of the $1200 initial pay reduction.”

Additionally, I have seen some discussion in the Senate on elimination of the $1,200 initial pay reduction. There is some resistance in the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Go to:
http://edworkforce.house.gov/members/108th/mem-fc.htm
And click on your representative or the chairman’s name and use the e-mail features. We need some e-mail support to members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee urging them to press forward with this initiative. Also, an e-mail to members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee would display our concern for ending the practice of this “tax” on service members and the subsequent penalty they incur when they apply for Federal Financial Aid. You can send your e-mail to Chairman Boehner via his chief of staff Mr. Jeff Dobrozsi at: Jeff.Dobrozsi@mail.house.gov Here is a suggested paragraph you can cut and paste:

I am a member of the National Association of Veterans Program Administrators (NAVPA) and would like to seek your support in elimination of the $1,200.00 pay reduction service members now pay in order to enroll in the Montgomery GI Bill. This practice should be eliminated. Veterans are double "taxed" as the Federal Financial Aid program is reduced by the amount of veterans benefit received and this program does not consider the initial pay reduction of $1,200.00; that makes this a double reduction or "tax". Our veterans deserve much better for their service to our country. Please support the elimination of this enrollment tax. Thank you.

DEMOCRATIC POLICY COMMITTEE
Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman
June 22, 2004

Democrats Celebrate 60th Anniversary of G.I. Bill With a Commitment to Improve Veterans' Education Opportunities

The G.I. Bill and its successors have enabled millions of veterans to receive an education. On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the "Serviceman's Readjustment Act," better known as the "G.I. Bill of Rights." Under this landmark legislation, the federal government provided World War II veterans with education and vocational training, loan guarantees for homes, farms, or businesses, unemployment pay, and assistance in job searches. Out of an eligible population of 15.5 million veterans, nearly eight million received education or training thanks to this critical legislation.

“more than 21 million veterans
and family members have received
education and training from the
Department of Veteran Affairs.”

The G.I. Bill has been updated several times to keep pace with the needs of today's veterans. In the 60 years since the first G.I. Bill was signed, more than 21 million veterans and family members have received education and training from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In 1985, the Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) became the newest federal program to provide education and training to our nation's veterans. In 2003, VA helped provide education or training for 322,754 veterans and active-duty personnel, 88,342 reservists, and 61,874 survivors. The outstanding results of the VA's education and training programs have led many to call the G.I. bill one of the most important achievements in the history of the United States Congress.

Democrats honor the legacy of the G.I. bill by working to enhance educational opportunities for veterans and service members. Senate Democrats have strongly supported efforts to improve educational opportunities for all Americans, and believe that the federal government has a special obligation to repay the courageous service of veterans and military personnel. With this goal in mind, Senate Democrats are working to:

• Create a new G.I. Bill for the 21st Century. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) have urged Congress to create a new G.I. Bill for the 21st Century "that fully covers the educational costs of eligible service members to a college or university of their choice." Senator Bob Graham has taken a significant step toward this goal, introducing S. 2534, the Montgomery G.I. Bill for the 21st Century Act. This legislation would extend and expand benefits under the MGIB, and would also help veterans qualify for additional financial aid for education.
  
• Improve education and training for veterans and military personnel. In order to ensure that the MGIB continues to serve our nation's veterans and military personnel, it is important to ensure that the benefits offered through this program keep pace with the rising costs of tuition. To this end, Senator Johnson introduced S. 55, the Veterans' Higher Education Opportunities Act. This bill would adjust veterans' educational benefits to reflect the average monthly costs of tuition and expenses for students at public institutions of higher education. Six other Democrats have joined Senator Johnson as cosponsors of this legislation. Moreover, Senator Dayton has introduced S. 177, the Montgomery G.I. Bill Revitalization Act. This legislation would offer enhanced educational benefits and a living stipend to active military personnel who enlist in the military for four years or more. The bill is designed to bring educational benefits for active military personnel closer to those offered by the original G.I. Bill.
  
• Expand educational opportunities for members of the National Guard and Reserve. Like active duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve are eligible for education benefits under the MGIB, but have seen their benefits drop significantly over the past several years. Benefits under the Reserve MGIB program have slipped from 47 percent of active component MGIB benefits in 1985 to just 28 percent of active MGIB benefits today. In order to address this disparity, Senator Johnson joined with Republican Senator Collins to introduce S. 812, which would increase the rates of basic educational assistance to members of the Selected Reserve. Senators Daschle, Durbin, and Bill Nelson are cosponsors of this legislation.
  
• Improve home loan guarantees for our nation's veterans. Senator Corzine has introduced S. 2522 to improve upon the VA home loan guarantee program created by the original G.I. bill. The current program only guarantees up to $60,000 on a home loan, meaning that veterans can often obtain loans worth a maximum of only $240,000. With the rising costs of housing, many veterans, especially those in expensive housing markets, cannot afford average-priced homes. Senator Corzine's legislation would set the loan guarantee maximum according to an index established by Freddie Mac, which would provide veterans the opportunity to obtain loans large enough to help them continue to purchase homes as housing costs increase. Senator Bob Graham's bill S. 2534 contains provisions to increase the maximum home loan guarantee as well.

Prepared by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee
Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman
419 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Pictures of Mid-Year Board Meeting