Welcome to the world of the Veterans Administration "where veterans go to get fucked".
Since the passage of the "fair tuition act" in August there are five states that are grandfathered to surpass the $17,500 tuition cap for private institutions. The state I'm in, PA, just so happens to be one of the five. So my registration was sent in in the beginning of January. Yes the first week of January. Here I am going into the second week of February with no money. When I called after 1.5 hours of not even able to get on hold, I got on hold for an hour. Then I asked why I wasn't getting paid and I was told "it's awaiting supervisor approval because of your overage". So my BAH payment that I budget for has been delayed a week thus far, with no payment day in sight.
My issue isn't that I'm entitled to this money. I HATE entitlements. However I feel my payment into the GI Bill system and my working did get me something. The problem is that while we had to work for these benefits by "writing a blank check", or however you want to put it, we have to work to get them after already worked to get them. It's total politics and budget cutting. The shitty thing is that the fund we all paid into has probably been liquidated by the asshole politicians long ago just like social security. So while we paid and theoretically attending school on the interest accrued over the years of the fund growing from people not using it, the reality is we're living on tax payer borrowed funds from China. I feel terrible about it, but at the same time I'm so soo soooooo glad this is my last semester. The VA is terrible. It's staffed by a bunch of people that suck balls. If I could have transferred my benefits account (thinking like an investment account) to USAA, I would have done it in a split second. They would have paid on time and made sure I got paid on time. Instead it's managed by a bunch of assfaces that like to promote all the good things they do for veterans. In the meantime there's people like you and I that are dealing with this bullshit.
Every time I get on the phone with a rep I speak my mind with one caveat. I tell the rep that this isn't directed at them personally but the agency as a whole. I say things like "thank god I'm not single and relying on this as a rent payment", or "good thing I'm married and my wife can buy me groceries". I get much more creative also saying things like "I know this is being recorded and hopefully my distaste for this organization will make it to someone's ear that matters, however I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears".
Speaking of, I think I'm going to try and get myself on hold again tonight. You got me fired up again.
