GI Bill 2.0: What You Need to Know

A year-long push to implement changes in the new Post-9/11 GI Bill was met with success in mid-December when both houses of Congress voted overwhelmingly to pass the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Improvements Act of 2010. On January 4^th, President Obama signed the bill into law, making expanded military education benefits and veteran education assistance for servicemembers in the Armed Forces after Sept. 11 2001 a reality.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, which went into effect on Aug. 1 of 2009, is considered a crucial factor to many servicemembers in their decision to seek higher education--the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that more than 300,000 veterans are attending college using their military education benefits under the new GI Bill. However, a few of the main shortcomings of the Post-9/11 GI Bill were that it did not include benefits for National Guardsmen, nor did it offer the housing stipend to veterans seeking online or distance learning, and certificate and vocational programs that did not culminate in a degree were not covered.

The "GI Bill fix," sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka, (D-Hawaii), addressed these shortcomings and several other issues. Passing the House with an overwhelming 409 to 3 vote on Thursday, Dec. 16 after sweeping through the Senate with a unanimous vote on Tuesday of the same week, the support of the bill was impressive.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi issued a statement regarding passage of the bill:

"In enacting the bill we extend the educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill to our National Guardsmen and to veterans taking advantage of online education and distance learning," Pelosi said. "In a time of economic challenge for millions of Americans, we are expanding opportunities for job training, arming our troops with the tools to contribute as workers, and helping strengthen our economy."

New GI Bill Benefits Expansion

Main points included in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Improvements Act are:

• Expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility for National Guardsmen, retroactive to Aug. 1 of 2009.
• Eliminates restrictions on non-degree granting institutions, which includes vocational training, apprenticeship programs, certification programs, and on-the-job training.
• Establishes an annual cap on tuition at private colleges of $17,500 per year. For the 36 months of the bill's benefit span, veterans can receive up to $52,500 for study at private colleges.
• Eliminates the state-by-state cap on tuition and fees and pays for all tuition and fees at state-sponsored schools.
• Expands the eligibility for veterans taking online courses to receive a monthly housing stipend.
• Expands the annual book stipend to include active duty personnel and their spouses.

The new GI Bill fix also offers eligible caregivers of wounded veterans an extension on the 10-year deadline to use their GI Bill benefits. Many of the new tuition payments and expanded military education benefits don't go into effect until August of 2011, while others go into effect on Oct. 1.

Erik Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, issued a statement saying that expanding eligibility of the Post-9/11 GI Bill will provide significant opportunities to many servicemembers, veterans, and family members who will join the more than 600,000 total students pursuing higher education using the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills today.

The American Legion aggressively lobbied for passage of the Veterans Educational Improvements Act. The Legion drafted the original GI Bill following World War II, as well as helped write the Post-9/11 GI Bill--and its latest overhaul.

Jimmie Foster, national commander of The American Legion, told the American Forces Press Services, "This bill rectifies the inequities and shortcomings of the well-intentioned but incomplete Post-9/11 GI Bill and makes it whole."

New Veterans Education Opportunities

So what does it all mean? For servicemembers, it means a chance to study in just about any field they choose--be it at a traditional college or through online learning. Allowing veterans the chance to pursue non-degree granting educational opportunities means they'll receive tuition reimbursement for programs such as flight training, certification in any medical field, such as radiology, phlebotomy, nursing, or sonography, or at mechanics schools that capitalize on their military experiences.

Share This

Email