Comment on AN10-Proposed Rule

I am a strong supporter of the new GI Bill, and it appears these regulations do an excellent job of implementing this enhanced education benefit for today's servicemembers and veterans. I want to express my support of the exclusion of the housing allowance payment for students enrolled in distance learning programs (section 3313). Obviously the intent of the housing allowance is to help students with the housing costs associated with attending a traditional, campus-based educational program. In many cases, students need to, or would be greatly convenienced by, moving, and this allowance will help ease that financial burden and enable students to achieve better. These costs are simply not incurred by most students opting to take their courses via distance learning, who are most likely going to do so from their current location. Also, since geographic location makes no difference, how would the amount of any such housing allowance be determined for distance learning programs? Why should I as a taxpayer help subsidize a student's more expensive choice to live in New York City vs. Kansas and take the same program online? How would the government be able to verify the housing costs/allowance eligibility for students in online programs? I think the potential for abuse, as well as the much-reduced need for housing costs that distance learning students have, are good reasons for the proposed regulation that would exclude payment of housing allowance(s) for students in distance learning programs.