Ohio colleges giving tuition leeway to vets

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s public colleges are giving a break to veterans whose tuition payments under the new GI Bill have been delayed.

About 250 of the 300 veterans attending Ohio State University have yet to receive their payments for tuition, books and living expenses under the post-Sept. 11 GI Bill because of a national backlog. Classes started Wednesday.

Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut says no veteran who receives GI Bill benefits will be assessed a late fee. Veterans will also be able to attend classes even if the colleges aren’t receiving any money.

Since May 1, the Veterans Affairs department has said that nearly 290,000 claims for benefits have been filed under the new GI Bill, and about a quarter of those are pending. The average processing time is 34 days.