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EXCLUSIVE – A major policy shift could restore education benefits to thousands of veterans who were separated from military service for refusing the COVID vaccine during the Biden administration, according to The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The move follows President Donald Trump’s January executive order — Executive Order 14184 – Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID Vaccination Mandate.
This directed federal agencies to identify service members affected by the former vaccine requirement and to take steps to reinstate or restore certain benefits.
In response, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth went on to instruct military departments to facilitate discharge upgrades for those who were involuntarily separated because they declined the COVID vaccine and received a characterization of service that affected their benefits.
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According to the VA, more than 8,000 service members were separated after Biden’s Department of Defense implemented the vaccination mandate.
Over half reportedly received discharges classified as less than fully honorable, a status that can limit eligibility for education benefits under the GI Bill.
After conducting initial reviews, the Department of War found that 899 veterans from this group now meet eligibility requirements for GI Bill benefits as a result of their upgraded discharge status.
Officials said the number could grow as more cases are reviewed under the guidelines set by Trump’s executive order.
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In September, the VA began notifying veterans whose discharges had already been upgraded, telling them that they may now qualify for education assistance.
The agency is now urging any veteran discharged for refusing the vaccine to apply for a discharge review and, if upgraded, to submit an application for GI Bill benefits.
“The Biden administration’s COVID mandates upended the lives and livelihoods of thousands of service members and veterans,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
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“We are proud to help implement President Trump’s executive order and make these Veterans whole again.”
Hegseth also offered support for the effort and said the reinstatement of benefits is an important step toward rebuilding trust among those affected.
“One of the most atrocious attacks on our military by the previous administration was the discharging and targeting of perfectly healthy warfighters who refused to take an experimental vaccine implemented by an illegal mandate,” he said.
“We must never let that happen again, and we must also right the wrongs of the past in order to restore trust,” he added. “We at the Department of War and the VA are grateful for President Trump’s Executive Order reinstating GI Bill benefits for those veterans who were targeted for refusing the illegal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.”
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Veterans seeking more information on discharge upgrades or GI Bill eligibility can contact the VA or their respective military department’s review board.
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