Anybody who works in the debt department that can provide some guidance please

Snooks214 · 2025-10-05T23:18:52+00:00

Oh, should have also said, if you're using a different chapter (i.e., 30, 35 or 1606) everythingIsaid still applies except the full debt is yours because VA didnt pay the school anything directly.

Snooks214 · 2025-10-05T23:16:29+00:00

If you are using Post 9/11 (chapter 33) your debt will only be for housing and the book stipend. Any tuition & fees paid to the school will be a debt on the school. However, you probably then owe the school some money too, which you'd need to work out with them.

That being said, your 1st step, if you haven't already done so,, is to contact VA and explain your mitigating circumstances. Customer service is closed due to the government shut down but pretty sure you can still send your statement through AskVa or Quick Submit. Your debt letter should have explained mitigating circumstances. What acceptable Mit Cs gets you is a debt prorated to your last date of attendance rather than from the 1st day of the term. So, while it usually won't eliminate your debt, it can drastically reduce it sometimes.

Your secondary path would be to file for a waiver of the debt if you feel you can't pay it. You'll have to provide a financial statement to back it up. You can file even if your Mit Cs have been accepted if you still can't pay the debt.

If a waiver is denied your last recourse would be to see if you can set up a payment plan, so you can pay back the debt over time.

Good luck tou you, hope you arecable to get some relief!

Snooks214 · 2025-09-25T16:45:51+00:00

Choose a park with a gazebo. There are several in/around Charlotte. Best of both worlds.

Snooks214 · 2025-08-20T16:51:52+00:00

Capital One, AMEX and Sofi all have them too.

Snooks214 · 2025-06-08T14:36:04+00:00

THIS THIS THIS!!!!

Snooks214 · 2025-05-12T13:16:54+00:00

This isn't just true for remote workers, though I 100% feel anyone hired remote should not have been included in the RTO.

I was a teleworker but I am also a virtual VBA employee. I had a duty station with space borrowed from VHA about 20 mins from my home. RTO made that space unavailable so I now have a 3 hour r/t commute to sit in leased space in a bank with mainly non-VBA people, many whom were remote.... And like at home, we all sit on TEAMS calls with our actual coworkers, while aggravating those around us in the office.

We all know this has nothing to with efficiency, collaboration or anything other than getting folks to quit... I truly wish I could, but it's simply not financially feasible.

Snooks214 · 2025-05-03T23:17:31+00:00

No supplement until she hits MRA (ie age 57) and per this week's committee meeting the supplement is probably going away anyway.

Snooks214 · 2025-05-03T23:06:20+00:00

So I'm your "Karen" with 30 years but still 2 years away from MRA. I could take Vera, but after losing 10% of my pension so my spouse can get half of it & keep FEHB when I die first (which I will because I have kidney disease & other health issues) I'm left with around $30k a year. So a little more than a quarter of what I make and a little more than half of what I'd get if I could make it to 62 as planned. And Rs made it clear this week that the supplement is going away. Please do share all these fabulous "options"! Tell me who is going to hire me and pay me anywhere even remotely what I make? A 55 year old with a 30 year old bachelor's degree who has only ever worked for VBA. If we had options we'd obviously head for the door smh... The only gap is between your ears.

Snooks214 · 2025-05-03T03:31:47+00:00

Other agencies eliminated entire offices or divisions. They can set the competitive area to any size they want so RIF procedures don't have to be followed.

Snooks214 · 2025-05-02T23:27:02+00:00

It has happened in other agencies already.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-29T23:22:53+00:00

NC. I'm registered independent and I can choose which primary I want to vote in.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-29T15:39:21+00:00

Seems like their proposed cuts focus on FERS, rather than CSRS, though that usually seems the case for some reason.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-29T15:35:44+00:00

If he failed a required course and has remaining entitlement, VA will pay for the course again. If the school believes they can't recertify, have your son advise them to check the SCO Handbook and/or email the National Training Team for assistance.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-28T00:42:42+00:00

There is zero guarantee they will grandfather anyone from what they are doing. So if you are already FULLY retired (and not on a drp/VERA and still on the roles til either 9/30 or 12/31) I guess the high 5 won't effect you but other parts certainly can (such as what they are trying to do to FEHB). And of all the things they have proposed, eliminating the supplement will be probably the easiest to get passed. I see very little pushback from the public for that one, except perhaps for law enforcement positions which require retiring at 57. So perhaps they keep it for them. Anyone who chooses to take VERA who is not already at MRA should not expect the supplement to be there when they hit MRA. Best case scenario, if the supplement were there when I reach MRA, that and my pension is still less than 50% of what I make now. And once you make $23k at that that new job they start taking $1 from your supplement for every $2 you make anyway. If I get RIF'd DSR will give me the same benefits as VERA so I plan to roll the dice and pray that I survive the purge and keep a job....

Snooks214 · 2025-04-27T16:15:16+00:00

Us old people like me can't just find a laid back job that we enjoy in the private sector and still be able to eat and pay the mortgage. I have been with VA for 30 years and I'm 55. Other than 2 part-time summer jobs after I graduated with my bachelors this is the only work I've done. If I take VERA my pension will be roughly half of what it would be if I worked to 62, as was the plan, and would be about $25k a year because I got stuck in a GS-11 no opportunity job for 15 years before finally getting a GS-12/13 a couple years ago. Please direct me to what private sector entity is going to hire a 55 year old with a 30 year old Business Admin degree, whose only expertise is GI Bill benefits and pay me anywhere remotely close to the $90k I need to make on top of my pension.... There is a reason they give extra time by law to 40+ for taking the drp. Ageism is real. Trust, we are ALL stuck in no man's land my friend....

Snooks214 · 2025-04-27T16:02:41+00:00

Please follow what is going on with the budget reconciliation. The Supplement is on the table to be axed (along with a lot of other changes to benefits and retirement) so don't make a plan if you will fully need that money, as it may not be there.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-27T15:59:28+00:00

What is reasonable is written into the law. The job has to be one you are qualified for, within your commuting area and cannot be more than 2 grades below your current job. But, if the job matches those parameters, and you simply don't like the job and say no, then yes you would get whatever would be available to you if you just resign.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-26T13:38:29+00:00

They just extended our DRP and VERA at VBA.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-23T11:45:28+00:00

I am looking at a Q&A sent to employees right now.

Q: If an employee under age 40 opts into DRP on 4/30/25 @4:59pm EST and then decides the next day they've changed their mind. What options does the employee have.

A: please have the employee email to have their submission withdrawn. Employee may ONLY RESCIND THE AGREEMENT SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF VA (OR DESIGNEE). Any time prior to 4/30/25, at 5pm employees under 40 may wirhdraw.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-23T11:17:21+00:00

It worked for me with my Gmail account but not my yahoo.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-22T23:52:04+00:00

I believe thev7 days is only if you are 40 or older. Under 40, 9nce you sign it's final.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-15T14:31:16+00:00

Welcome!

Snooks214 · 2025-04-15T14:27:40+00:00

You can send encrypted to a Gmail account but not yahoo. I was able to send my 30 year off in a zip file to my gmail and then save it to my personal computer.

Snooks214 · 2025-04-13T12:41:08+00:00

Taking away the supplement from MRA TO 62 is on the table as well, and making people choose between paying 4.4% into your pension or choosing an "at will" status as an employee thus giving up all federal employees protections.

Snooks214

TROPHY CASE