Could GI Bill Benefits Change?: A Look at the Senate's Proposed Post-9/11 GI Bill Updates

The Post-9/11 GI Bill launched just over a year ago with the purpose of providing financial support for servicemembers to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as vocational and technical training. However, many servicemembers and their families have run into difficulties navigating the new benefits.

In July, lawmakers from the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs gathered in Washington to discuss how they could simplify the benefit formula used to calculate veterans' benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The senators are proposing a national funding cap for private colleges--both non-profit and for-profit. The heart of the issue is the current benefit inequality between states--under the new formula, the maximum benefit would be based on the average tuition from all public and private baccalaureate programs across the country.

Although some groups, such as the American Council on Education, argue students at private colleges would receive less funding in some states under the new formula, most parties agree that a new nationwide baseline benefit would be beneficial to all involved. Susan Hatton, a senior consultant at The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities notes, "The key thing is to set the national tuition and fees figure at an appropriate level."

Extending and Expanding GI Bill Benefits

In addition to simplifying the benefit formula, the proposed legislation is also attempting to expand and extend benefits to additional members of the military, including the National Guard and Active Guard Reserve. The new legislation would extend Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to servicemembers on state Guard duty.

A second major benefit extension would impact students taking online courses. In its current form, the GI Bill does not provide a housing allowance to students taking online-only or distance learning-only classes. Under the proposed legislation, these students would receive 50 percent of the housing allowance provided to students in residential situations.

While extending benefits seems to be a step in the right direction, some remain unconvinced. Russell Kitchner from the American Public University System writes, "Online students...have comparable living expenses as do those taking courses at traditional brick-and-mortar institutions, and to suggest otherwise is to overlook the realities of contemporary learners."

Indeed, it should be interesting to see how the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs addresses the shifting needs of today's veteran students.

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