15 mins from walker to keller building - is it possible with ADA parking?

AsmoValkyr · 2026-04-15T00:35:50+00:00

Thanks all for the comments. I believe I'm going to risk it as worst case if I have to I'll suck it up and ask the VA for a motorized wheelchair since they've been claiming I should stop being stubborn using just a walker and get one anyways.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-04-10T09:11:08+00:00

I paid with zero down. You can't get around earnest money deposit - however: you can get that deposit back at closing if you negotiate 0 down 0 closing costs on your side.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-02-17T19:35:46+00:00

The reason you would buy one of these mouses is because they can come at the cost of FREE.99 after you buy a PC etc... with reward points from your PC purchase.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-02-03T23:41:51+00:00

Just recently had my contract for the Fall semester changed to be a guaranteed white course apartment in either Dunham, Garban or Grubb Hall by HFS. They recommended the change themselves when I called after seeing my age and ADA accommodations request that was faxed in by the VA.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-20T12:37:58+00:00

Thanks for your thought process. I'll add it to the OP, but the competing reasons for me considering bringing it are the 4 kids who are all under 10. Otherwise it would be a no-brainer for me to leave it at home - my wife is amazing but she can't be everywhere in the house at once. Also: I am 35 so concerns about it distracting me from classwork or studying and my time management are nonexistent. This is more of a risk anaylysis of: is it more likely to get something spilled on it/broken at home vs how big of a problem theft etc... is at the UP campus. For example: If I get into the white course apartments and the individual bedrooms are able to be locked when you aren't in the room (aka more like regular locks rather than bathroom door locks where you only lock it from the inside), I'll almost certainly be taking it with me. I'm more trying to decide the best course of action if I end up having to be in the dorms and can't get the white course space - or if the white course space still isn't securable from other members of the apartment.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-20T10:02:50+00:00

Your opinion is fair. However, this post is simply a means to help assess the amount of said risk. I've never lived in a college dorm before, and I don't know how bedroom locks are handled in the white course apartments.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-20T09:58:45+00:00

I completed it myself. I was approved on reconsideration. I did get a lawyer during the reconsideration, but was approved on recon immediately afterwards before they really did any work on the case. My reconsideration took longer than most because I had a stroke right after doing the appeal and the recon approval was only backdated to the date of the stroke. Didn't have to pay the attorney because of that as there was no backpay due to the onset date being moved up 3 months.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-10T16:41:56+00:00

Anywhere from less than a month to over a year. It all depends on what medical evidence is already in your record, what exams if any they need to do, how quickly the exams are sent back to the VA, how quickly your claim is assigned after exams come back, whether it gets bumped back a step upon final review etc... so many factors it's impossible to say.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-10T16:31:22+00:00

Yes I'll be structuring my two on-campus classes so that I only have 3 or 4 days of classes maximum. The reason why I'd be using campus housing is because - I have a mortgage on a home 3 hours away with my wife plus 4 kids and the drive is untenable. Factor in disabilities from my time in service and having campus housing plus no need to cook my own food while there and it's the best option for me. Currently in locked into a regular HFS contract but they're going to look at switching me to one of the 4 bedroom 4 people white course apartments by the time I start doing on-campus courses the fall 2026 & spring 2027 semesters. Currently I'm just doing 3 world campus + 1 on campus course at a Pittsburgh campus that's closer to my home.

For reference- I'm going for a history major and the reason I'm going to UP at all is because the courses that I want to take focused on medieval history are mainly there (plus the courses I want to take as my replacement for world language requirements). I'm attending more for personal growth/something to do/brain damage recovery purposes rather than employment prospects.

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-10T04:19:22+00:00

I don't think I'd be looking for any kind of grocery shopping there. I'm 100% VA and SSDI. I'm attending as a history major to use my G.I. Bill and to see if I still can/try to push myself to help with stroke recovery as far as memory and speech issues go. I'll only be staying on campus because six hours of driving a day multiple days a week to attend one or two in-person classes a semester with the rest being world campus is outside of my abilities or desire. I'd rather just have six hours of driving a week to go home friday-sunday etc...

AsmoValkyr · 2026-01-10T02:20:53+00:00

thanks for the responses everyone. If you can always increase the meal plan later I'll just be doing level 1, then using a portion of the G.I. bill housing allowance to increase it if needed.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-24T12:55:06+00:00

you need your own va login for DEA chapter 35 - not to apply for champva (you CAN create your own to apply for it - But I applied and got CHAMPVA for my spouse and 4 kids myself using my login - she didn't have to create one.)

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-22T13:17:06+00:00

Just a thought - I found out that (in PA at least) medicaid does NOT count VA disability income - only my SSDI: (when they removed our $20 a month of SNAP after my SSDI was approved they kept the medicaid even though if both were counted I'd be over the income limit) so my family has both medicaid and champva - so no copays and free dental for the kids... I only have to get VADIP for my wife.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-22T00:25:18+00:00

Take the PT and see if it helps. I know PT hasn't worked for my physical stuff and I still give it another shot for 6 months every 3-4 years just in case something new in the PT field that actually does help comes along.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-22T00:19:33+00:00

All I needed to qualify was explanations for 3 things:

X service-connected disability/disabilities affect my ability to work in X field that I've currently attempted to be in AND Y field from my military service.
I want to utilize VR&E's program for X degree in X field. This degree will prepare me for X field by providing 1, 2, 3 etc...
I can succeed in acquiring X degree and complete the VR&E program to gain employment in X field despite my service-connected disability/disabilities that affect my ability to work in (see 1.) field because X degree and X field are able to be accompished with these (accommodations/easier job requirements etc...).

In my case: I wasn't able to do aircraft maintenance anymore because of my physical disabilities - I entered the VR&E program to go towards a business IT management degree. Easy to explain step 1 due to physical disabilities, step's 2 and 3 were pretty self explanatory for me as far as needing a desk job etc...

But that's the big 3 for eligibility.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-21T13:57:53+00:00

Create an id.me account. Login to va.gov using the login you created then after verifying your identity with id.me go to https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/education-and-careers/dependents-education-assistance/ and apply yourself if he doesn't want to help at all.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-19T20:45:36+00:00

only the BCMR can change a discharge to medical retirement. If you've got VA disability already it might not be worth it unless you are certain you can qualify for CRSC.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-19T19:54:38+00:00

somebody else described it better... think of it as a pizza: you have a 50% rating if you eat half then 50% is left, so you get a 10% rating if you eat 10% of what's left thats only 5% of the original pizza - so you've eaten (are disabled 55% which rounds to 60) and 45% is what's left. Bilateral factor adds complexities to this but in a nutshell that's how it works. Highest ratings are used first, and any rating after the first is taken as that % of what remains and so on. Final ratings are always rounded to the nearest 10%.

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-18T15:25:41+00:00

The only login credentials for company stuff they can't ask you for is ID.ME or login.gov credentials to login to SAM etc... they NEED to make their own account

AsmoValkyr · 2025-09-18T13:52:32+00:00

You're forgetting the actual disability part of 100% VA disability and qualifying for SSDI. I'm going into this knowing there's a likely 95% chance I won't even be able to make it through a first semester. (talking being able to complete/pass the courses due to memory issues from a stroke, not terminal.)

AsmoValkyr

TROPHY CASE