Archives » Tuesday, April 29, 2008
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David Botti
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Apr 29, 2008 10:41 AM
More than half a century after the GI Bill
was first enacted to help send vets to college, politicians and
advocates are touting a new proposed bill to expand these benefits. The
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act was introduced by a
number of Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate. Among
them is Virginia Senator (and Vietnam vet) Jim Webb whose posted this
statement on his Website:
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act is designed to offer
the brave men and women who have served honorably since September 11,
2001 a level of educational benefits on par with those provided to
veterans of the World War II era.
In a profile of numerous veterans
struggling to capitalize on education opportunities after returning
home from war, the Washington Post helps to break down where the
current GI Bill stands now. The problem is that these benefits can no
longer fully fund higher education, as they once did for earlier
generations of veterans.
Many people enlist to earn money for college, and almost everyone signs
up for the education benefits -- which, in the case of the main GI
Bill, requires a service member to pay about $1,200 into the plan-- but
not everyone takes advantage of it. And that buy-in is not returned
even if the benefits are unused.
About 70 percent use at least some part of it, said Keith Wilson,
director of the education service, but the VA does not track how many
earn degrees.
An independent study found that just over half use some part of the
benefits, said Ray Kelley of AMVETS, a veterans support group, and only
8 percent use all. "Congress is realizing we're not giving them the
benefits we say we're giving them," Kelley said. "They only have 36
months from the time they start using it to the time they finish." That
means going to school full time, year-round.
Earlier this month NPR's Morning Edition broke down more of the specifics of the proposed bill.
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