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University of Michigan student Paige Dotson, who had to leave DePaul University because of a “bureaucratic failure” involving the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Paige Dotson was told that the Navy has agreed to alter her father’s service record, showing that he’s eligible to transfer his college benefits to his daughter, as he’d been told.

Patricia Luiso / Sun-Times

Navy pays tuition for some veterans’ kids after Sun-Times’ GI Bill investigation

But more military families still are on the hook for huge, unexpected bills for college they were promised would be covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

By Lizzie Schiffman Tufano | January 3, 2020 at 9:35 PM

In November 2019, the Chicago Sun-Times published a story about Paige Dotson, the 22-year-old daughter of Russell Dotson, a decorated sailor who served 22 years in the Navy.

It was the first in a series of stories by reporter Stephanie Zimmermann on bureaucratic failures and broken promises by the military to pay for college for the children of qualified veterans under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Paige Dotson had to leave DePaul University and found herself on the hook for a huge and unexpected bill for college that her family was promised would be covered. And she wasn’t the only one who found herself in that situation.

As a result of the Sun-Times’ reporting, the Navy fixed things for the Dotsons and some other military families. But others are still facing problems because of these GI Bill snafus, problems that a secret report Zimmermann obtained were widespread and longstanding.

You can read her stories below.

The Sun-Times’ initial report on Post-9/11 GI Bill snafus, published Nov. 10, 2019.

The Sun-Times’ initial report on Post-9/11 GI Bill snafus, published Nov. 10, 2019.

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November 08, 2019 05:30 AM
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