Published: 06-20-08
Doubles Current Benefit to Cover Veterans’ College Education Costs
(Washington D.C.) – U.S. Representative Chet Edwards (D-TX) Chairman of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee today hailed House passage of the historic new GI Bill for the 21st Century under the 2008 emergency war funding bill. The new GI Bill doubles the current veterans’ education benefit to fully cover four-year college costs for U.S. service members.
“A young president a veteran of the greatest generation once reminded the world that Americans would ‘pay any price bear any burden…in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.’ His the generation of John F. Kennedy understood that all Americans had a moral obligation to support those who have paid the greatest price and borne the heaviest burdens of war—our troops our veterans and their families. That is why the original GI Bill was passed in 1944.
“Today 64 years later Congress is renewing its moral commitment to those who have served our nation in uniform with a new 21st Century GI Bill that opens the doors of our colleges and universities to our troops our veterans and their families. The new 21st Century GI Bill will say to our troops and veterans just as you have invested your service to protect our nation’s future we intend to invest in your future by making the dream of a college education a reality.
This bill restores the promise of the GI Bill to pay for a full four-year college education for America’s veterans by doubling the current benefit from approximately $9000 per year to $18000 per year. Not only will this strengthen our military it will also allow the heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan to spur the American economic recovery -- just as the original GI Bill did after World War II” said Edwards.
Under the new GI Bill U.S. servicemen and women returning from Iraq or Afghanistan who have served 3 years on active duty since September 11 2001 would receive benefits to cover the costs of a four-year education up to the level of the most expensive in-state public tuition along with a monthly stipend of approximately $1000 for living expenses and $1000 annually for books. The education benefits could also be transferred to service members’ children and spouses if they serve six years or longer.
Currently veterans’ education benefits cover only about 60 percent of the cost of a public-school education. The new GI Bill is broadly supported by all major veterans’ organizations including the American Legion the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
“Supporting our troops our veterans and their families is what Americans do. It is who we are. Since our nation’s founding shared sacrifice during time of war has been a quintessential American value a promise to keep.
“This new GI Bill must become the law of the land our veterans deserve no less.”
In his first year as Chairman of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee in 2007 Congressman Edwards authored a historic increase of $11.8 billion in veterans’ health care and benefits the largest increase in veterans funding in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration (VA).
