Congress scrambled in March to protect GI Bill benefits for student veterans as colleges shut down in response to the pandemic. At the time, lawmakers approved an emergency fix that allowed students to retain their full amount of benefits. The bill gave the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary broad authority to ensure GI Bill benefits are distributed without interruption during national emergencies.

Those protections were scheduled to end in December. However, Congress extended the protections through December 2021. The extension was part of a short-term funding bill that prevented a government shutdown at the beginning of October.

“The Senate just passed a continuing resolution, avoiding a government shutdown,” the group Student Veterans of America tweeted at the time. “More than avoiding a shutdown, the CR also extends critical housing flexibility for student veterans facing school changes from COVID through 2021.”

GI Bill recipients rely on monthly stipends from the VA to pay for housing, food and other bills. Those payments are higher for students who attend physical classes as opposed to online coursework. As classes moved online last spring to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, tens of thousands of student veterans faced the possibility of losing their benefits or seeing drastic cuts.

The extension approved last week also applies to protections for student veterans in work-study programs. Congress approved a measure in April to continue payments for veterans in work-study programs, even if they could no longer report to work because of the pandemic.

-NIKKI WENTLING | STARS AND STRIPES

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1. Use online resources: For distance-learners, (or students who would like to reinforce math concepts at home) free online educational resources can supplement formal instruction. One unique site providing remote-learning support to educators, parents and teachers is Casio Cares. The site features free software, math lessons for K through 12 and live webinars, as well as provides a web-based calculation tool that supports the curriculum of grade levels 6 through college. Visit casioeducation.com to access these tools and learn more.

2. Encourage tailored learning: Leaning into the strengths of online learning can help your student make the most of this atypical school year. While online tools like webinars, instructional videos and activities may not provide the same type of interaction as an in-person classroom experience, they do have some clear advantages: such tools appeal to digital natives, can be tailored to individual needs, offer opportunities for self pacing and can be revisited again and again as needed.

3. Get equipped: Be sure your student is equipped with a calculator well-suited to the curriculum. The affordable scientific calculators and graphing calculators available from Casio feature hundreds of functions, as well as high-definition, three dimensional displays, helping students visualize mathematical concepts for a better grasp of the material. Tutorials offering in-depth instructions for using different calculator features are available online, and can expand your child’s capabilities.

Remote and hybrid learning come with different challenges than regular classroom learning, especially when it comes to math class. However, new tools can help make this school year a success.

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