MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Six veterans who turned to NewsChannel 36 for help after not getting their GI Bill tuition and housing benefits after enrolling in school are now getting their money and peace of mind about their futures.
The Department of Veterans Affairs thanked NewsChannel 36 for bringing the issue to their attention so they could fix the problem.
When we last saw Marine Colt Hall on Monday he was about to be evicted from his Mooresville apartment. He also wasn't sure how long he'd be able to stay enrolled at the NASCAR Technical Institute, where he's working on a better life for his family.
The reason was his GI Bill benefits, which include 100 percent tuition and about $1,000 a month for housing as a full-time student, hadn’t come through.
"Not even a book fee,” Hall said. “I haven't received anything."
Hall and five classmates who are also veterans and started school the same day, May 7, and say they were told their benefits would kick in May 15, then June 1. However, each passing day meant no money.
Veterans say the explanation they got on the phone from the Department of Veterans Affairs was a delay in processing due to a computer problem and a large number of veterans starting school.
NewsChannel 36 called Veterans Affairs and told them what was happening. They said they would look into it and wanted to make sure all veterans entitled to benefits were receiving them.
The veterans themselves say they called numerous times.
"I would say 100 times at minimum,” said veteran Curtis Jones.
Tuesday night their phones started ringing.
It was Veterans Affairs saying the money is on the way and their tuition has been paid.
For now, Veterans Affairs isn't saying what happened in part because they're still looking into it and it’s partly due to privacy issues.
What those veterans enrolled at NASCAR Technical Institute knew Wednesday that they didn’t ' know Monday is their futures are no longer up in the air.
"Now we're going to actually be financially stable and able to stay here and finish school. We don't have to worry about that money not being there,” Jones said.
"I'll be here until I graduate now, I know that,” said Hall.
Jones and Hall also say they're getting back pay from last month when their tuition and living expenses were supposed to begin.
