GI Bill Offers Expanded Educational Opportunities to Veterans
EzineArticles.com
by Natasha Bright
June 22, 2010
Veterans benefits from new and existing GI bills are such that those eligible might consider easing what National Public Radio has called the "combat to campus" transition by enrolling in online college offerings.
Many who provided military service on or after the September 11 terrorist attacks have the option of utilizing education benefits from a Montgomery GI Bill. This bill provides for average college and university tuition costs or a more recent Post-9/11 GI Bill that provides living and book expenses, as well as tuition. The amount of tuition is up to the amount of the most expensive public colleges and universities in states where the schools are located, according to the Department of Veteran's Affairs.
Nearly 300,000 American veterans have this year applied for tuition benefits, according to an April report in the Austin American-Statesman. Institutions of higher education in Texas, Massachusetts and Georgia have cited veteran enrollment increases since the Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect in 2009, reports show. But the transition from combat to campus can be difficult, a National Public Radio report suggested. Veteran students can suffer from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse, reporter Karen Brown of NPR member station WFCR said. Veterans might also find it difficult to concentrate, relax, forge connections with non-veterans and feel part of a college community, the Austin American-Statesman article noted.
Online college programs allow students to participate in studies from their own space, and deployed service members in remote locations have for some time been among the students. Online college students might interact with others via message boards and enhance their technology skills. Some online degree programs provide academic credit for military efforts.
The GI Bill dates back to 1944, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed off on what's formerly known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act. The program reportedly allowed financing for home loans and small businesses, as well as tuition. It was reportedly intended to prevent another Great Depression. By 1956, when the program is said to have ended, nearly 8 million veterans reportedly participated in educational programs. Where today's Montgomery bill tuition assistance only rates are fixed, Post 9/11 bill tuition, living and book financing depends in part upon length of service and area of residence, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports. Some veterans eligible for Post 9/11 benefits can pass unused education benefits onto their spouses and children, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Colleges and universities, in much the same way they did in the 1940s, are working to make themselves more veteran-friendly. These days they are doing it in the way of new and expanded student groups, employee education efforts and guidance and financial advice programs, student groups and employee education, Palm Beach Post and American-Statesmen reports suggest. Online college enrollment and the number and variety of degree programs, including those that offer vocational training, have grown substantially. Veterans enrolling in online programs can select from those offered by virtual institutions or by colleges and universities that also have physical campuses. They can take classes entirely online or combine online and on campus time.
Scholarships, fellowships and grants might help offset any differences between online college tuition costs and GI Bill reimbursements. Some institutions contribute tuition money that the Department of Veterans Affairs then matches.
To be eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, veterans must have completed at least 90 days of service on or after September 11, 2001 or have been discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information or to determine eligibility, veterans can visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill website. Those who would like to secure their education benefit can test GIBill to 99702, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported.
Veterans benefits have expanded and are more comprehensive today than ever before. Changes made to the GI Bill affect not only veterans, but their families. It's a good idea to take a good look at something you've worked hard to earn.
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