A local veteran is urging Fort Worth ISD and Benbrook Middle-High School to take action on a certification process he believes could help military families access valuable education benefits.
Steve Stiefvater, a disabled veteran, says his 18-year-old student is eligible for Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance benefits, a federal program that can provide financial support to qualifying children and spouses of veterans who are permanently disabled, missing, or deceased due to service-connected causes.
According to information provided by Stiefvater, high school students who qualify may receive monthly educational assistance after turning 18 while still enrolled in high school. Benefits can also continue after graduation for approved college, vocational, apprenticeship, and workforce training programs.
Stiefvater says the issue is not student eligibility, but whether the school is approved through the Texas Veterans Commission’s State Approving Agency process. He alleges that Benbrook Middle-High School has declined to submit the paperwork required for certification despite offers of assistance from the Texas Veterans Commission.
In correspondence shared by Stiefvater, a representative from the office of State Senator Phil King stated that the Texas Veterans Commission reported the school was unwilling to participate in the program unless required to do so. The correspondence also indicated that assistance with the approval process had been offered but declined.
Stiefvater says he has contacted school administrators, district leadership, and members of the school board to move the process forward before an August 1 deadline affecting some benefit applications.
The Texas Veterans Commission serves as Texas’s State Approving Agency under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and oversees educational programs that allow eligible veterans and family members to access benefits such as the GI Bill and Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance.
The matter has sparked discussion among local residents, particularly in a community that includes active-duty military members, reservists, veterans, and military families. Stiefvater argues that certification could create a pathway for eligible students to access benefits already available under federal law at no cost to the school district.
Benbrook Life has not independently verified the claims regarding the school’s participation status and is awaiting comment from Fort Worth ISD.
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