Legal Question in Veterans Law in North Carolina

Possible Discrimination Against Veterans

Throughout my company, there are many veterans who are pursuing their degrees after hours. Many of these veterans are utilizing their GI Bill benefits, which is a return on their $1200 investment while enlisted. Our company pays $5,000 per tuition assistance for all employees; however, our local department head has now stated that we must pay all company tuition assistance back to the company and face possible termination. This has raised a couple of concerns:

1) Can the company do this just to our 4 veterans in my particular workgroup when there are literelly hundreds, if not thousands, taking advantage of the GI Bill within the company, and

2) Is this even legal to demand that all veterans pay back company tution assistance solely because they were also receiving GI Bill payments?

We are curious as to what legal recourse we may have, if any. Thank you for your response!


Asked on 2/05/03, 10:06 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jim Griffin The Law Office of James L. Griffin

Re: Possible Discrimination Against Veterans

As a 30 % disabled 'Nam vet who used his GI Bill to attend college and law school, I am afraid the news is not too good for veterans. The short answer is yes, the company can likely require you to pay back any company funds. You should get a copy of the company's policy regarding their tution offer to employees. However, the company is not required to offer any tution assistance to anyone. In other words, you have no legal rights in them paying anything. If you have no legal rights, you have nothing to protect. They are not discriminating against vets because the vets have no legal rights to company assistance. It would be great if the company would recognize the sacrifice that vets have performed for their country and would assist them regardless of the GI Bill benefits. However, they cannot be forced to do so.

I hope I have explained this adequately. If you want to speak further on this, e-mail me and I will try again. Good luck.

Jim

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Answered on 2/05/03, 11:39 pm


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