Help children of veterans after GI Bill rescinded
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Hi, everyone!
My name is Paige Dotson, and I recently had a story published in the Chicago Sun Times about the issue that my family and I have been facing. I am the daughter of a veteran, and I am also a first-generation college student at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. In 2016, while I was attending DePaul University (before I transferred to U of M), I was attending school on my father's Post-9/11 GI Bill. This was the only way I was able to attend school at the time, since we didn't have a lot of money. The benefits allowed me a living stipend, a book stipend in addition to tuition support. Midway through my freshman year at DePaul, I did not receive my living stipend. Upon further investigation, I discovered that I was no longer eligible for benefits because my dad had retired. He was instructed by his commanding officer that he was all set to retire, having had all of his requirements and obligations met at a Senior Chief for the U.S Navy. He later learned that he was 89 days short of the remaining eligibility for my GI Bill benefits. As a reservist, this 89 days actually included only 6 days of actual service. We had tried to get this taken care of through changing the retirement date to serve those remaining days, but were denied. This is not something that is only affecting me. Countless American families who scarified themselves for our country are going through this. My goal with this GoFundMe is NOT to raise money for only myself. I would like to help all of those effected. I was lucky to have support so I could continue college - other people are not that lucky. Let's stand together as a country and help them in any way we can. Please check out and share the story!
Best wishes,
Paige
My name is Paige Dotson, and I recently had a story published in the Chicago Sun Times about the issue that my family and I have been facing. I am the daughter of a veteran, and I am also a first-generation college student at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. In 2016, while I was attending DePaul University (before I transferred to U of M), I was attending school on my father's Post-9/11 GI Bill. This was the only way I was able to attend school at the time, since we didn't have a lot of money. The benefits allowed me a living stipend, a book stipend in addition to tuition support. Midway through my freshman year at DePaul, I did not receive my living stipend. Upon further investigation, I discovered that I was no longer eligible for benefits because my dad had retired. He was instructed by his commanding officer that he was all set to retire, having had all of his requirements and obligations met at a Senior Chief for the U.S Navy. He later learned that he was 89 days short of the remaining eligibility for my GI Bill benefits. As a reservist, this 89 days actually included only 6 days of actual service. We had tried to get this taken care of through changing the retirement date to serve those remaining days, but were denied. This is not something that is only affecting me. Countless American families who scarified themselves for our country are going through this. My goal with this GoFundMe is NOT to raise money for only myself. I would like to help all of those effected. I was lucky to have support so I could continue college - other people are not that lucky. Let's stand together as a country and help them in any way we can. Please check out and share the story!
Best wishes,
Paige
Organizer
Paige Dotson
Organizer
Ypsilanti, MI
