Latest GI Bill News

The Department of Defense move comes in response to concerns from both lawmakers and higher education officials.

Military veterans comprised more than a quarter (28.5 percent) of the federal government's new hires this year.

The Department of Defense recognized employees and servicemembers with disabilities at its 31st annual Disability Awards Ceremony.

The U.S. Navy will christen its newest attack submarine Mississippi, in honor of the state and its people, on Saturday at the General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called the Congressional Budget Super Committee's failure to agree on a plan to reduce the debt a detriment to national security.

President Barack Obama signed into law two new tax credits designed to help unemployed veterans land jobs.

The House of Representatives voted to extend tax credits to companies that hire jobless veterans. The measure heads to President Obama, who has said he will sign it.

The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously agreed to cut $120 million in funding from the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, or MyCAA.

Military students at schools with veteran-specific services progress toward earning a college degree as fast as or faster than their non-military peers, according to a new study.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta issued a Veterans Day message, "Honoring Our Nation's Veterans."

On Veterans Day, several restaurants and fast-food chains nationwide are thanking all former and present military members for their service with free or discounted food.

Just in time for Veterans Day, the Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation to help unemployed U.S. veterans land jobs.

The Obama administration announced a range of new initiatives, including a searchable job bank and a career matching tool, to help unemployed veterans find work.

The Marine Corps reversed an unpopular decision to drastically slash tuition assistance for its troops, but warned that there would not be enough funding to go around.

President Obama's We Can't Wait campaign includes new initiatives to create jobs for veterans.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama announced today that a group of more than 200 companies had agreed to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses.

The Marines were the first military branch to announce cuts, but further cuts are anticipated as the Department of Defense looks to trim its budget.

More than 100 veterans will show off their talents in art, music, dance, drama and writing at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival this year.

With strong bipartisan support, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the heavily anticipated Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 (the VOW Act) and five other bills of importance to veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it has awarded a contract of nearly $100 million to build a new rehabilitation center.

Local community groups from 11 states that offer housing and services for homeless veterans will receive an additional $10.3 million for those efforts, the VA announced.

Sen. Patty Murray responds to a survey of VA mental health services showing long delays for appointments.

A new study by the National Center for Education Statistics provides details about cthe most popular degree programs among military students, and how they differed from their civilian classmates.

Government-sponsored seminars, health fairs and information sessions are available for  troubled veterans and their families.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a new medical program that serves U.S. veterans living overseas.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has posted an updated list of ships whose crew members may have been exposed to Agent Orange during operations in Vietnam.

The VA is partnering with an independent, nonprofit organization on a system to coordinate electronic health records.

The DoD and FEMA are cooperating to prepare for and respond to Hurricane Irene on the East Coast.

The new accreditation gives reassurance of protection for veterans who take part in VA research studies.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a new policy encouraging its employees to communicate with veterans via social media tools.

The Army has decided to shut down its pioneering online education portal, eArmyU, after 10 years of service.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is reaching out to veterans to let them know that a series of changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill are taking place in 2011.

The VA kicked off a conference as part of a program intended to ensure that veterans receive top-quality care by offering training and support to family caregivers.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011, which now goes to President Obama for a signature.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced $60 million in grant money to help prevent veteran homelessness.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs will soon consider two bills to streamline Post-9/11 GI Bill payments and improve oversight of veteran education benefits.

The contest to build on medical records technology currently available to veterans has a prize of $50,000.

The Department of Defense (DoD) released its first unified cyberspace strategy for its military, intelligence and business operations functions on July 14.

A recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found that older veterans who earned a Purple Heart live longer than their comrades who were not injured while serving.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a major initiative to improve the way women veterans perceive and receive VA health care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued the first batch of payments for family members providing care for seriously injured veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it has expanded its benefits administration website to improve public accountability and provide additional information.

Most Americans believe that U.S. government support for troops returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq falls short, a Pew Research Center poll has found.

As part of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, the VA is encouraging veterans to take advantage of testing services available to them at VA facilities around the country.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will give money to state housing authorities to help provide affordable housing for veterans.

The Department of Defense announced plans today to award $37.8 million to 83 academic institutions to purchase research instruments.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs met to address the high rate of unemployment among U.S. veterans, and discussed planned legislation.

The White House announced that the U.S. is working with Britain to create a joint task force dedicated to supporting service personnel and veterans and their families.

All four active service branches of the military met or exceeded recruiting and retention goals for the current fiscal year through April, the Department of Defense announced today.

A mobile-phone application to help veterans and their families cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder has reached over 5,000 veterans in its first month.

A federal appeals court ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs on May 10 to overhaul its mental health care system, citing "unchecked incompetence" in the face of a flood of veterans needing mental health care.

The chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee announced new legislation today to help veterans, of whom one in four aged 20-24 are unemployed, find jobs in the civilian workplace.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has been hindered in implementing the Post-9/11 GI Bill by inadequate information systems, staffing, and program guidance, a government report says.

Four bills protecting veterans' rights were unanimously passed today by the House Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

The Department of Defense announced the termination of the F-136 Joint Strike Fighter Extra Engine Program contract with the General Electric/Rolls Royce Fighter Engine Team, bringing to an end a program that had cost the public $2.5 billion and was far from finished.

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker proposed increased support for veterans in his proposed state budget, but the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs has concerns.

Schools interested in participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Yellow Ribbon Program must enter into a voluntary agreement by May 23. Find out more details here.

President Obama is proposing an overall increase of $1.8 billion in VA funding. Find out what the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs says about this gesture.

Meet the first winner of GIBill.com’s “Declare Your Major” scholarship contest. A second winner will be announced on March 15.

The DoD's extended deadline for servicemembers to apply to the Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay program is one week away: March 4, 2011.

The VA's budget request for fiscal year 2012 was just announced. Learn where and how the VA plans to spend the money.

Severe weather led to a delay in the processing of February education benefits by the VA.  Find out when to expect a resolution.

A new automated software solution was recently announed by the VA to support the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The new system promises to speed up and refine the GI Bill application process.

Senator Patty Murray will replace Senator Akaka as chair of the Senate Veteran's Affairs.  Find out where Akaka is going, and what Murray brings to the table.

First Lady, Michelle Obama will appear on today's episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss military families.

Today, President Obama announced a Directive that will focus on improving the lives of military families. Find out what this could mean for thousands of families here.

Last week the VA announced the launch of the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. The new office will work to improve health care services for veterans.

The new Tricare Young Adult program extends medical coverage for dependents of military families to age 26. Learn more about the new program here.

A new web-based tool is now available to help soldiers and their families understand and deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Learn more about the “Virtual PTSD Experience”, here.

The VA is adding a chat feature to its online health benefits application form. Find out how this adjustment is expected to streamline the application process for veterans.

The VA recently announced the enhanced health care enrollment window will close on January 27, 2011. The enhanced enrollment window simplifies the application for health care benefits for combat veterans who served after November 11, 1998, but left the service before January 28, 2003.

The VA recently made available its 2010 annual VA Facility Safety and Quality Report. The report, which can be reviewed online presents findings on the quality of VA health care.

President Obama signed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act into law. The legislation passed Congress in late December and will expand benefits and streamline Post-9/11 GI Bill programs.

The Navy recently awarded a contract to competing bidders for the design and construction of 20 littoral combat ships. Find out about the Navy's competitive strategy.

A new program from the VA will provide mentoring for Veteran-owned small businesses. To start, the VA selected twenty initial mentor-protege teams to participate in the program which aims to "provide business assistance in various skill areas and foster long-term business relationships".

Over one million servicemembers are expected to receive a cut of the $19 billion devoted to BAH in 2011. Find out more about the rate changes here.

A new study from the VA finds that quitting rates go up for smokers when cessation techniques are combined with PTSD therapy. Learn more about the study and what it means for veterans here.

The Department of Defense (DoD) pushed the deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP) claims to December 18. Find out who is eligible and how to apply here.

The VA recently announced pilot program that aims to reduce the amount of time it takes to secure health care records from private physicians.

The VA announced the opening of the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, earlier this week. Miramar National Cemetery joins the VA's 131 national cemeteries in 39 states.

Veterans have a complex array of health benefits available to them--and sometimes sorting them out can be difficult. To help, the VA plans to launch a pilot series of personalized Veterans Health Benefits Handbooks.

The VA signed a memorandum of understanding with The Indian Health Service (IHS) to better the health of Alaska Native and American Indian veterans. Find out more here.

In honor of Veteran's Day, HBO will debut a new documentary, "Wartorn: 1861-2010." Executive Produced by James Gandolfini, "Wartorn: 1861-2010" explores post-traumatic stress (PTSD) in the military.

Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki thanked veterans for their service in honor of Veterans Day.

The VA recently announced the launch of its blog, VAntage Point. The blog is the brainchild of the Office of New Media, the newly created group which manages the VA's social media presence on the Internet. Find out more about the blog here.

A new report found the health system at the VA regularly outperforms the private sector. Find out more about the report and the specific areas in which the VA stands out.

The DoD announced this week that the U.S. Cyber Command is now at full operational capability. The organization will take on tasks including security and creating a Joint Operations Center. Get more details here.

The VA announced that its home loan program continues to produce record numbers of homeowners. Additionally, these loans hold the title of having the lowest foreclosure rates in the industry. Find out more here.

The VA is expanding benefits coverage for veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure. Two hundred thousand Vietnam veterans could be eligible. Find out more details here.

The VA is partnering with Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers to provide readjustment counseling to veterans who are attending game 4 of the World Series on October 31st. Find out more details here.

The VA recently launched an effort to improve the disability claims process. A series of new disability benefits questionnaires (79 in all) are being introduced to provide disability evaluation guidance to veterans' physicians.

Monitoring emotional health post-deployments is a key issue facing veterans. The DoD recently announced a new tool that can help veterans keep track of their emotional health.

The VA announced a new campaign to advertise its Suicide Prevention Hotline. Nearly 1,200 advertisements are lined up for placement on bus shelters, buses, and rail and subway stations. Find out more about the campaign here.

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced that it used more than $1 billion in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Find details on how the funds were used here.

The VA is launching an effort to encourage veterans to use their full array of available benefits. A new 30-second television advertisement is expected to launch as part of this effort. View it here.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its cost estimate for S.3447, the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010." Here, get details on what the proposed $1.3 billion in increased funding would do for veterans.

A $22.9 million construction contract has been announced by theDepartment of Veterans Affairs (VA). Kepa Services, Inc. is being comissioned to develop a new section of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.

The first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges took place today. President Obama joined by Dr. Jill Biden, the host of the summit. Approximetly 150 members of the community college communtiy as well as state and federal policy makers attended.

The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010 (H.R. 3219). The legislation will now move to President Obama's desk for his consideration. Find out the details on what could be changing for veterans here.

Servicemembers now have more time to apply for their Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay. The previous deadline of October 21^st has been extended to Dec. 3, 2010. Find out more details and how to apply for the benefit here.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was approved by the House of Representatives. The bill provides medical benefits and financial compensation to emergency workers who were first responders at the scene of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

The House of Representative's Veterans' Affairs Health Subcommittee recently held a hearing to discuss the oversight of procurement and contracting procedures by the Veterans Health Administration, a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Find more details on what the hearings covered here.

This week has been declared as the "Absentee Voting Week" by the Department of Defense. Individuals who are voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act and have not yet received their absentee ballots should check out http://www.FVAP.gov to fill out their ballots ASAP. Find out more details here.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs approved several new bills last week that aim to improve services and benefits provided to veterans. Find out more about these bill that will likely help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced the launch of the Veterans Relationship Management (VRM), a multi-year initiative to improve veterans' access to health care and benefits. VRM will focus on 1) improving telephone services; and 2) a new website.

The Small Business Administration granted the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) an "A" rating on its latest Small Business Scorecard. Here, find out what the VA is doing and what this means for veterans.

A recent investigation by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found the VA issued over $100 million in improper emergency Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits payments.

The Navy christened and launched the USNS Washington Chambers on Saturday, September 11th. The new dry cargo/ammunition ship was introduced at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

Participants in the MyCAA education benefits program can now request benefits for classes that start on or before January 31st, a 15 day extension from the previous deadline. Learn more details here.

The Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored a car at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Air Guard 400 in Richmond, Virginia. Raising awareness of the Post-9/11 GI Bill was the goal. Find out if the effort was a success.

A construction contractor for a new VA medical center to be built in Denver, Colorado has been announced. The center will be located on the University of Colorado Hospital Complex in Aurora, and is expected to be completed in 2014.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the 2010-2011 Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fees rates on August 30th. Find out about the differences and if your state saw an increase or decrease in maximum tuition rates.

Find out about President Obama's announcement the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, and how one of the next steps he sees is to properly care for and support veterans.

On August 18, 2010, experts at GIBill.com answered the 1,000th question about GI Bill benefits from a GIBill.com site visitor. The volume of requests for help underscores the level of confusion surrounding the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Soldiers need answers, the expert Q&A is here to help.

The VA recently announced an expansion to its list of health problems thought to be related to herbicide and Agent Orange exposures. Vietnam veterans who were exposed should have easier access to disability compensation and health care treatments.

Delaware, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts were recently approved for waivers for the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE). Find out what this means for servicemembers who would like to vote in the November 2, 2010 election.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, VA mortgages have had the lowest foreclosure rates of all measured loans that were issues over the last eight quarters. Find out more here.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin testing a new paperless system to process claims for Veterans. Find out what could be changing here.

A new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs reveals over 1,110 schools have entered into voluntary agreements to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program for the 2010-2011 school year. Get more details here.

Secretary Gates announced a new series of cost-saving recommendations to help foster in a new era of savings in today's defense institutions. Find out what's changing here.

The VA recently sent out letters explaining how they plan to recover the money from the GI Bill emergency advance payments. Read about payment options.

The VA recently announced that it will begin to collect the funds it provided GI Bill applicants for the fall 2009 term.