Robert,
Sorry I didn’t answer earlier. It has been a while since I visited the forum. When I started at the 141 school the VA was still getting everything figured out on how the flight fees were going to be paid. I had to pay for flight hours up front and eventually was reimbursed. Looking into it again they only cover roughly $13,000 yearly for flight fees. That barely covers the private license and those schools like to stretch out the length of time it takes for you to progress. In my honest opinion, since you already have your degree, don’t waste your time going back to college. It stinks losing the benefits but then again you could always use it to get your rotor wing rating or your PhD later on.