Programs From Florida To Washington State Are Affected

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has shut off new enrolment in five additional helicopter flight training programs. The programs have been cited for violating a requirement that 15 percent of a program's total enrolment be made up of non-veterans paying full price for the training.

According to a report from The Los Angeles Times, the programs can bill the government as much as $250,00 for a two-year training program, but the schools are not supposed to rely solely on GI bill money for their operation. While school officials such as Doug Sly, a spokesperson for Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, WA, said that the programs had not been started exclusively for veterans, "consciously or subconsciously, you knew those would be the only people with the resources to get in."

Palm Beach State College in Florida says it will shut down its program when the current students complete their training. Of 115 helicopter students there, 109 were veterans, according to the VA's auditors.

Other schools are appealing the decision, according to the report.

The ripple effect may be that veterans who complete their training may have a difficult time finding work, particularly if they obtain an instructor certificate. With fewer programs enrolling new veterans, there are fewer students who need to learn to fly. Dan Crowe, the owner of Palm Beach Helicopters which has the contract with Palm Beach State in Florida, said that unless there in an increase in the number of students, "we won't be able to hire."

Legislation introduced in Congress would cap annual tuition and fees to for such programs at $20,235 per year, which would be place on all private colleges and universities. However, those already enrolled would be allowed to finish their training.

But that doesn't help flight schools, or veterans, according to HAI president Matt Zuccaro, who is a Vietnam veteran.

A petition against the bill has already drawn more than 7,000 signatures, according to the report.

FMI: www.va.gov