Pending 21st Century GI Bill: New Benefits for a New Era
Many educators are excited about the potential impact of the
proposed GI Bill, legislation that has gotten the nod by President
Bush in its current form, according to an article in Inside Higher
Ed (“Gauging the New GI Bill,” June 20, 2008).
“I think that expanding the GI bill, making it more generous, can be
one component of really expanding access to higher education for
people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Suzanne
Mettler, Cornell University professor.
Current GI Bill benefits, worth only $1,101 monthly, have not kept
pace with the escalating cost of a college education. Many experts
believe that the current level of veterans’ benefits — used
primarily by those from low socioeconomic backgrounds — are not
enough to help veterans attain a decent college education.
But in the next couple of weeks, the Senate will vote on a revised
version of the GI Bill that would:
- Increase education benefits to cover up to the cost of in-
state tuition at the most expensive public college in a veteran’s
state
- Offer a monthly housing allowance
- Provide $1,000 a year for books
- Open up the option of allowing transferable educational
benefits for a veteran’s spouse and/or children
Benefits Unlikely to Affect Vets’ Choice of School
Educators at some two-year schools, where about 40 percent of GI
Bill recipients pursue their degrees — are concerned that their
enrollment numbers will dwindle significantly once these soldier-
students are able to attend more expensive institutions.
However Keith Wilson, director of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, says that may not necessarily be the case. He says the new
bill isn’t expected to radically alter how and where veterans will
attend college.
“In my experience, I’m not sure that’s necessarily true. I think
convenience is still going to be paramount,” Wilson concluded.
Regardless of how the results of the bill shakes out, James Wright,
president of Dartmouth College, says veterans should be able to
choose the college that is the best fit for them and believes the
new Bill will allow them to do so.
“Those who are coming out of the military should be able to think
about going to the best schools in the country,” Wright said. “They
should be thinking about going to the colleges that most meet their
needs.”