Atlanta Daily World

Young men and women planning to attend school this fall under the new War Orphans Education Law were urged today by the Veterans Administration to file their applications as soon as possible, to avoid unnecessary delays in receiving their first monthly allowance check.

Application forms are available at all VA offices.

Persons eligible for schooling are those whose veteran-parent died of injuries or diseases resulting from military service during World War I, World War II or the Korean Conflict. Students generally must be between 18 and 23 years old.

Prompt action is needed. VA explained, because normally it will take about three months from the date of application to the date the initial allowance check is placed in the mail. So in the case of young men and women who apply now, the earliest that VA could mail out checks would be mid-November.

When the first checks do arrive, however, they will cover the entire period during which the students were in school after October 1-the beginning date on which the law authorizes payments to be made. Thereafter, checks will be mailed regularly to cover each month the student is in school.

The money usually will be sent to the student's parent or guardian, rather than to the student himself.

The three-month period between application and receipt of the first check is necessary because of the processes required by the law VA said. Here's what is involved:

After the application is filed, VA must check its records to make certain that the young man or woman meets basic eligibility requirements for schooling. If so, VA will issue a "provisional approval."

Next, VA will schedule vocational counseling to help the applicant along with his living parent or guardian, to plan a program of education best suited to his aptitudes, abilities and interests. Also the parent or guardian, with the help of VA counselors, must work out an "educational plan" showing the student's goal his program of education, what school or schools he plans to attend and the estimated cost.

Only after this plan is submitted may VA give its final approval for the training.

And even after the student enrolls in school, he can't expect his Government check immediately For the law calls for payments to be made some time after the end of each month of training is completed.

After the month has ended, the student and his school must submit a certification to VA stating that he has been in attendance all month. The law, then, allows VA up to 20 days after receipt of the certification to get the student's check in the mail.

The entire process, VA said, takes roughly three months. The earlier that applications are filed, the sooner VA payments begin For young men and women who want to begin fall terms at school before receiving VA's final approval of their courses, VA suggested that they enroll in school courses that have been State-approved for Korea veterans under the Korean GI Bill. Any VA regional office can inform a student whether the course is GI-approved.

The law specifies that school courses approved for Korea veterans also are approved for students enrolled under the War Orphans Educational program.

It's advisable, however, that they receive VA vocational counseling before they enroll. This way they will know that their course will best prepare them for their future careers.