I would like to respond to the article on fee waivers (“Fee waivers under scrutiny,”The Daily Aztec, Feb. 20, 1997). To begin with, the statement “a $200,000 loss in revenue this year as a result of fee waivers given to veterans” is inaccurate.

The waivers are not for veterans, but for dependents of disabled veterans. Secondly, your article focused on the disparity between income and need for some students on this program. In reality, the real problem with this program is in the disability requirements themselves. Any veteran with a zero-percent V.A. disability rating (or more) qualifies as disabled under this particular program, and thus their dependents are eligible.

A zero-percent disability is granted when a person incurs an injury while on active duty, and upon separation, that injury is deemed not presently worthy of disability payments by the V.A. That zero-percent disability rating is used by the V.A. to document an injury that might, in the future, be aggravated and thus qualify the veteran for disability payments. On the other hand, the injury may never be aggravated.

It seems to me that this program should be amended to assist disabled veterans with debilitating pain or injury in sending their dependents to school.

Consider this: In order to qualify for a free fishing license, which runs about $30, a veteran must have a 70 percent disability. This rating includes loss of limbs, wheelchair, etc. Yet if I had a zero-percent disability rating for some possible future disability, I could waive educational fees for future dependents. Of course, I could not in good conscience do this. It is a shame to see this program abused.

Adrian Collins

English senior and Navy veteran