The Current G.I. Bill
Over the years, the G.I. Bill has been amended, and adjustments made, in order to expand benefits for veterans. Sometimes, these adjustments have unintended consequences. These include:
- Chapter 30 - Montgomery G.I. Bill (Active Duty) - States that Active Duty members of the Armed Forces accept a $100 reduction in pay, for 12 months, in order to use their education benefits. Unfortunately, if an Active Duty member accepts this reduction, and then decides to not attend college, that money is not refunded to them, but to the U.S. Treasury.
- Chapter 31 - Expanded benefits for disabled veterans, who need special assistance in vocational rehabilitation programs. Those programs train disabled veterans to acclimate to performing in the workplace with their disability.
- Chapter 1606 - Montgomery G.I. Bill (Select Reserve) - Provided benefits for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, and Coast Guard reserves. While an admirable goal, Reservists and National Guardsmen receive just a fraction of the benefits their Active Duty counterparts. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have seen the largest mobilization of the Guard and Reserves ever, the members of which have been extended to 12 and 15 months, just as Active Duty members.
- Chapter 1607 - Extended the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) to all reservists who, after September 11, 2001, completed 90 days or more of Active Duty service "in support of contingency operations." While this benefit provides reservists return from Active Duty with up to 80% of the Active Duty G.I. Bill benefits, benefits are cut off as soon as their service contract ends, regardless of whether they received their full benefits or not.
Any shortcomings of the G.I. Bill and its amendments were unintended. When the bill was originally passed, the makeup of the military was different, how we waged war was different, and the cost of college was different. For these reasons, some Members of Congress are speaking about a need to pass a new G.I. Bill - a 21st Century G.I. Bill.
While no new, comprehensive G.I. Bill has been introduced, there are a number of proposed changes to education benefits for veterans that are being studied. For more information on those, please read the transcripts for the following hearings: