A Revamp of the Post-9/11 GI Bill Could Include Vocational Training

A big push is underway by lobbyists to get Congress to pass legislation that would expand Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to include aid for veterans who wish to pursue learning at educational institutions that don't offer two or four-year degrees.

As written, the Post-9/11 GI Bill only covers institutions of higher learning, says Bob Madden, assistant director of the American Legion's National Economic Commission. The American Legion is pushing Congress and members of the Senate Veteran's Affairs Committee to make amendments and offer new GI Bill benefits that also would cover veterans who wish to study at technical, trade, and vocational schools, as well as apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training. These programs are often a natural extension of work servicemembers perform during active duty.

How Amendments and New GI Bill Benefits Would Help Veterans

Institutes that don't grant two- or four-year degrees are excluded from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Madden says. As a result, many of the classes that could benefit servicemembers -- auto and diesel mechanic training, aircraft mechanic training, flight school, and a host of similar programs that offer technical certifications rather than degrees -- aren't paid for under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Madden points out that the Montgomery GI Bill does pay for study at these institutions via a flat-rate fee, but it is not as financially beneficial to veterans as educational payments made under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

"The Montgomery GI Bill pays a flat fee as opposed to the 9/11 GI Bill, which pays full tuition and housing assistance based on E5-with dependents pay as well as up to $1,000 annually in a book stipend," Madden says. "As a result, [enrollment at] the vocational schools has really fallen off -- we are seeing vets who can't move forward with the skill sets they learned in the military."

Online colleges also are excluded from receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill housing benefits. Madden notes that funding is available for veterans who undertake vocational training classes offered at local community colleges, as well as at the Universal Technical Institute Arizona Mechanic's Campus in Phoenix. However, UTI has nine additional campus locations that aren't covered under the new GI Bill benefits.

Other campuses may soon follow suit, however. The New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of South Carolina announced on Sept. 22 that it received VA approval for three of its technical certification programs. Veterans can use their Post-9/11 GI Bill educational funding for information technology, pharmacy technician, and networking professional training, New Horizons says. The courses are offered through Baker University.

Difference in Pay between the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills

With the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing benefit factored in, the difference between the two bills is substantial, Madden says. In his home area of Washington, D.C., for example, the Montgomery Bill pays $1,300 a month for full-time study, while the Post-9/11 GI Bill rate of pay is $1,800 in housing benefit alone.

"There is a big disparity there between what is being offered to vets," Madden says.

Are Changes in the Post-9/11 GI Bill in the Near Future?

The American Legion continues to push for technical fixes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Madden says he would like to see implementation of certain bills by August 1, 2011, if they are passed.

The fixes could help veterans pay for training that would help them quickly enter the workforce -- and begin paying taxes -- as opposed to undertaking years of study at colleges or universities.

"Some people want to be gainfully employed as soon as possible and don't have the luxury of studying the next four or five years," Madden says. "There is no equity in the GI Bill. There is a preference toward the Post-9/11 GI Bill -- 250,000 to 300,000 veterans currently use it, which is a great number, but veterans should be able to choose what their employment and career paths should be."

Two bills -- H.R. 3813 in the House and S. 3171 in the Senate -- that address changes and amendments to the Post-9/11 GI Bill are moving through Congress.

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