{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-no-veteran-should-lose-opportunity-to-obtain-a-college-degree-based-on-itt-techs-closure", "Donnelly: No Veteran Should Lose Opportunity to Obtain a College Degree Based on ITT Tech’s Closure", "2016-10-07", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly: No Veteran Should Lose Opportunity to Obtain a College Degree Based on ITT Tech\u2019s Closure\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator sent letter to VA Secretary to confirm Veterans First Act would restore GI Bill benefits to student veterans enrolled at ITT Tech \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, October 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly asked Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald to confirm that the bipartisan Veterans First Act\u2014legislation that Donnelly has cosponsored\u2014would enable the VA to restore GI Bill benefits for veterans who were enrolled at ITT Tech at the time of ITT\u2019s closure in September 2016. In the letter sent to Secretary McDonald, Donnelly urged swift implementation should the Veterans First Act or similar legislation be signed into law by year\u2019s end and asked that VA do everything possible in the interim to assist Hoosier student veterans impacted by the closure.\r\nDonnelly wrote, in part, in his letter, \u201cWith ITT Tech\u2019s closure, student veterans are facing the loss of the VA housing allowance that helps them pay their bills while they pursue an education.\u00a0Additionally, as it currently stands, veterans will lose all GI Bill benefits paid to ITT Tech\u2026No veteran should have to risk homelessness or lose the opportunity to obtain a college degree based on ITT Tech\u2019s closure.\u201d\r\nThe Department of Education is working with civilian students who attended ITT Tech to discharge their student loans and refund their Pell grants. Student veterans using the GI Bill are not receiving similar relief and risk losing their GI Bill benefits paid to ITT Tech. The Veterans First Act, was introduced by Senator Isackson (R-GA) and has 44 bipartisan cosponsors, including Donnelly. This legislation was reported out of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee with overwhelming support and awaits further action in the full Senate. \u00a0\r\nFull text of Donnelly\u2019s letter follows. To see the signed letter, click here.\r\nOctober 7, 2016\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Robert McDonald\r\nSecretary\r\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs\r\n810 Vermont Avenue Northwest\r\nWashington, DC 20240\r\nDear Secretary McDonald:\r\nI am writing regarding the plight of nearly 7,000 student veterans who were using their GI Bill benefits at ITT Technical Institute when it closed in September 2016. The ITT Tech closure impacted thousands of Hoosiers at multiple locations in Indiana.\r\nAs you know, the Department of Education is working with civilian students who attended ITT Tech to discharge their student loans and refund Pell grants, allowing them to restart their education with a clean slate. Unfortunately, veterans are not receiving comparable relief on their GI Bill benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\r\nWith ITT Tech\u2019s closure, student veterans are facing the loss of the VA housing allowance that helps them pay their bills while they pursue an education.\u00a0 Additionally, as it currently stands, veterans will lose all GI Bill benefits paid to ITT Tech. This lack of parity with civilian student aid relief is especially devastating in light of the uphill battle many veterans are facing in getting their ITT Tech credits transferred to a new college or university.\r\nI understand that VA requires new statutory authority to fully address these problems. I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Veterans First Act (S. 2921), which includes a provision that would enable VA to restore GI Bill benefits for veterans who were enrolled at ITT Tech at the time of its closure in September 2016. I request your confirmation that this interpretation of the bill is accurate and that if this or similar legislation is signed into law, you will act swiftly to provide much-need relief to student veterans in Indiana and across the country.\r\nNo veteran should have to risk homelessness or lose the opportunity to obtain a college degree based on ITT Tech\u2019s closure. I sincerely hope that Congress will act to pass bipartisan legislation to address this crisis before the end of this year, and I ask that you do everything possible in the interim to assist student veterans through these trying times.\r\nSincerely,\r\nJoe Donnelly\r\nUnited States Senator\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-no-veteran-should-lose-opportunity-to-obtain-a-college-degree-based-on-itt-techs-closure"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7708640769124031, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}