60 Dollars and a Train Ticket Home: Looking Back at Veteran Education Benefits

At the end of World War I, most returning veterans received a $60 bonus and transportation home. Once home, they were on their own. From that auspicious beginning, the desire to help veterans began to grow.

In 1924, Congress passed the World War Adjusted Act of 1924. This benefit intended to pay veterans based on the number of days served. While Congress' heart was in the right place, most veterans didn't see any money until 20 years later.

Coming out of World War II, Congress again saw a chance to help returning veterans. This time, millions of young men and women were returning home and would soon be flooding the job market, looking for work. With memories of the Great Depression still fresh in people’s minds, it was understood that something had to be done to not only thank veterans for their service, but prevent widespread unemployment.

Education Benefit Boom: The GI Bill Is Born

While most in Congress were on board with the proposed education assistance and home loan guarantee, an unemployment provision caused some turbulence. In the end, the intact Bill passed Congress and President Roosevelt signed the first veterans' GI Bill into law on June 22, 1944. Soon, millions jumped at the chance to earn an education. By 1947, 49 percent of college students were veterans.

The next big change to the GI Bill came in 1984 when Sonny Montgomery introduced legislation that updated the original Bill. Soon, the Montgomery GI Bill became law.

Most recently, the Post-9/11 GI Bill passed in 2008 and went into effect on August 1^st, 2009. This version’s sweeping changes included a housing and book stipend as well as an option to transfer the benefits on to dependents. The road to providing education benefits to veterans remains rocky at times, but today's vets are light-years ahead of their early brethren.

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