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Vets Penalized for Serving Their Country
Special Commentary by Michael Costello, Returned Vet, freshman at MHC
I have been in the Army for two years now, and most of my time was spent overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving nine months in Kuwait and three months at a prison site in Iraq. I was willing to sacrifice my life for my country, and gladly so.
After working close to insurgents in a prison expansion project and constructing supply roads and entry control points in the blistering desert sun, December came and so did my long-awaited homecoming. However, things turned sour when I applied for financial aid for college in the fall semester of 2006. The "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA) decided I was not in need of much financial aid, stating that my Expected Parental Contribution was much higher than it was, which was zero.
I am an independent student; I support myself, and work and pay my way through college. Though I made a significant amount of money from my tour of duty, it was tax-free. The IRS only counted $6,000.00 of that amount as taxable, which I gladly filed. However, if you have ever filled out a FAFSA form, you will see the unthinkable evil near the bottom of the income page. In a small, almost unreadable slot, there is a place to put all not-taxable income, INCLUDING COMBAT PAY. I included my combat pay, which is un-taxable by the government, only to find that I would be penalized and that my current financial aid would be considerably less the next semester.
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They were removing my Pell Grant as well as lowering my scholarship. Now this is not the school's fault, but the federal government's. I was told to look for loans, but I already have a large amount and refuse to take out any more loans. The Bible says that the "borrower is servant to the lender." I don't want to spend the rest of my life paying off loans. I know that athletes have huge scholarships. Why is there little for veterans?
To me, it's a crime to take away our (veterans') financial aid because we did our duty to our country. While many students' parents pay their child's way through college, the independent students' don't, and it's even harder when you are a vet. The un-taxable money I made was combat pay, so if the IRS doesn't look at it, why does the government of North Carolina? I'm frustrated because I feel that I and other veterans are being cheated.
This is low and inconsiderate in my opinion. We have served our country. We have sacrificed our comfort, our families and our lives to make this country a safe and a better place, and this is how we are repaid? They should not be asking us to include combat pay on our FAFSAs or anything else.
Reader Comment
Cindy Whitt, Student Life, 4/8/2006, 3:10 p.m.
Mike: There are lots of people on this and many other campuses that know how you feel. My daughter will get much less Pell Grant money than she should because she worked 40 hours a week the first half of her senior year. She saved enough money to cover expenses to keep her car on the road the rest of the year so she could play soccer. I understand your frustration. A lot of the athletes understand too. Not all of them receive large amounts of scholarship money and some don't receive any. You didn't mention any of the Veteran's Benefits for college. You should be able to get something for that. Hang in there and know that many others feel your pain.
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