For veterans, G.I. Bill’s luster has dimmed
Submitted by Jack on 28 October 2007 - 11:38am.
By BARBARA SHELLY The Kansas City Star, Sat, Oct. 27, 2007
Sam Weber attends morning classes at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. By noon he’s usually asleep, but not for long. Four days a week he reports for work at an alarm company at 8 p.m. and puts in a 10-hour shift.
“I can study at work, which is a huge benefit,” said Weber, 25, who is studying for a degree in business management.
With costs of college skyrocketing, it’s not unusual to find students juggling full-time jobs and course loads.
But here’s what’s different about Weber: He’s a U.S. Marine veteran and has served two tours in Iraq.
Serve and learn
Serve your country, and your country will provide you with a college education.
Generations of servicemen have enlisted under that premise, ever since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill of Rights into law in 1944.
Conceived largely by Topeka lawyer Harry W. Colmery, a World War I veteran who was national commander of the American Legion, the G.I. Bill changed America.
It opened the doors of academia to the sons and daughters of farmers and factory workers. Three years after passage of the bill, the portion of high school graduates who enrolled in college had increased from 10 percent to 50 percent. Half of the enrollees were veterans. The government paid their tuition and book fees, and covered living expenses.
Money for college, along with the G.I. Bill’s homeownership loan guarantee, paved the way for a new middle class of financially stable, well-educated Americans.
Post-high school education today is not a novelty. It’s considered essential for just about any young adult hoping to land a decent-paying job.
But military service no longer guarantees that a veteran will have an easy time financing a college education, even at a public university. The luster of the G.I. Bill has dimmed.
Tuition and fees
Weber, a 2000 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School, was a student at Longview Community College when terrorists attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001. He quickly enlisted in the Marines and was part of the initial force that moved into Iraq from Kuwait in March 2003.
Uncertainty, boredom and illness were the enemies at first. Weber spent his 21st birthday lying on a concrete floor with an IV in his arm.
After rotating back to North Carolina, Weber returned to Iraq in September 2004. He was in the bloody battle to drive insurgents out of the city of Fallujah. A couple of his friends were killed.
By January 2006, Weber had completed his four-year enlistment and was back in the classroom.
While on active duty, he contributed a total of $1,800 from his paychecks to qualify for G.I. tuition benefits. He now receives $1,255 a month from the military. That just about covers tuition and fees at UMKC, which amount to $8,500 a year.
“I’m 25 now. I can’t live at home,” Weber said.
So in order to afford his home in the Waldo neighborhood, Weber works 40 hours a week as night supervisor for the alarm company.
A switch in majors, from political science to business, set him back a semester. Weber figures that if he takes 15 credit hours a semester and goes to school during the summer, he’ll have his degree in a year and a half. His G.I. benefits should stretch just far enough.
One of the first classmates Weber got to know at UMKC was Benjamin Birnbaum. Like Weber, Birnbaum was majoring in business and had served in Iraq. He provided convoy security in the turbulent city of Ramadi.
Also like Weber, Birnbaum works to make ends meet. He has a three-days-a-week job as an executive intern with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
But as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, Birnbaum’s military benefits are less than those of an active-duty veteran. The military pays him $440 a month for his schooling — about half of what he pays in tuition and fees to UMKC.
Solution proposed
Attempts are under way in both chambers of Congress to steer the country back to the notion that returning veterans should receive a free ride through college, or close to it.
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a veteran, is the lead sponsor of a bill that would increase educational benefits to all members of the military who have served at least two years of active duty, with at least part of that time coming after Sept. 11, 2001. Reserve and National Guard members would be included.
Veterans would receive benefits sufficient to afford tuition at the most expensive public university in their state, plus a monthly stipend of $1,000 for up to 36 months. They would have a 15-year period in which to use their benefits.
Sponsors of the bill, mostly Democrats, contend that better tuition benefits would aid recruiting, help returning veterans cope with readjustment and lift the economy with a more productive workforce.
Opponents, who include some House and Senate Republicans and the Department of Veterans Affairs, say the program is simply too expensive. The VA has put the price tag at an additional $5.4 billion a year. G.I. tuition benefits cost taxpayers about $2 billion last year.
But war itself is expensive. What message does it send to begrudge tuition benefits to veterans when the government already has spent $450 billion on the Iraqi conflict alone?
The Bush administration also argues the promise of a hefty tuition benefit upon withdrawal would discourage Reserve and National Guard members from extending their service.
For young adults, however, military service and college educations are becoming increasingly expensive propositions. Servicemen and women who attempt to do both can find themselves far behind their peers in terms of income.
Sam Weber deferred his college education for four years. Tuition at UMKC increased significantly in that period, but G.I. Bill benefits remained flat.
Benjamin Birnbaum, likewise, saw his education interrupted while he was deployed for training and service in Iraq.
Both veterans are scrambling to catch up with former classmates, who obtained degrees and started careers while Weber and Birnbaum served the country. More generous tuition benefits look less like an expensive entitlement than a necessary means of leveling the playing field.
Senator Jim Webb
Monday, November 12, 2007
Jim Webb's Veteran's Day Message
From Senator Jim Webb.
As someone who hails from a family with strong military roots, I hold immense personal pride in those who answer our nation's call to duty. My father served our country for 26 years as an Air Force pilot and as a pioneer in the Thor and Atlas missile programs. I was proud to follow in his footsteps, serving as an infantry Marine in Vietnam. My brother served as a Marine helicopter pilot. And my son Jimmy has joined the tradition, recently home from serving as an infantry Marine in Iraq. If you have served in our nation's military or have friends or family who have served, I want to take a moment to thank you. I'd also like to take this opportunity to share with you an issue I've been working on since my first day in office -- a revitalized G.I. Bill for our returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Warmest regards this Veterans Day,
Jim Webb
On this Veteran's Day, we should remember that every day, our military is fighting across the world, and we owe those soldiers a debt, regardless of the political debates over the war(s) we fight. It is with pride that our party supports our troops as they return home as veterans, proposing and supporting legislation to fully fund the Veterans Administration, offer services at the Federal and State level upon their return home, and making sure their families are cared for.
Virginia's Democrats, Jim Webb in the Senate and Bobby Scott in the House have proposed a modern GI Bill for the veterans of the current conflicts. Wider reaching that state-level efforts promoted by Del. Dave Poisson, the Webb-Scott effort provides extensive educational benefits to our veterans.
Under the legislation (S.22 in the Senate, H.R.2702 in the House), returning service members could earn up to 36 months of benefits, equivalent to four academic years, which would include payment of tuition, books and fees, as well as a $1,000 a month living stipend for those veterans whose military service qualifies them for the program. - Sen. Webb's post-9/11 GI Bill
The bill was introduced at the beginning of the year, and is currently in the Veteran's Affairs Committee, which is Chaired by Sen. Akaka of Hawaii. On this Veteran's Day, I encourage everyone to take two minutes and email Sen. Akaka, expressing your support for S.22, and asking him to advance it through his committee as quickly as possible.
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G.I. Bill
After returning from the (active duty) Army I attended a public university for 4 years. I did receive and use every dime of the G.I. Bill. During my time in school I was a single parent and had to work full time, as well as, apply for college loans. With that said, I would have never graduated if the G.I. Bill was cut in half. I can’t believe those reservists, serving in Iraq, are getting half the benefit as their counterparts. Good luck in your fight!
Alabama Education Benefits For Children of Vetarans
For anyone in Alabama just good info for your'e children
http://www.va.state.al.us/scholarship.htm
G. I. Dependents' Scholarship Program
This nationally renowned program was created by Act 633 and approved October 1947 by the Alabama Legislature. It is administered by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and is governed by the Code of Alabama 1975, Section 31-6-1. The veteran must meet the following qualifications to establish eligibility of his/her dependents. A dependent is defined as a child, stepchild, spouse or the un-remarried widow (er) of the veteran.
Military Service: The veteran must have honorably served at least 90 or more days of continuous active federal military service or honorably discharged by reason of service-connected disability after serving less than 90 days.
Disability Requirements: The veteran must be rated 20% or more due to service-connected disabilities or have held the qualifying rating at the time of death, a former prisoner of war (POW), declared missing in action (MIA), died as the result of a service-connected disability, or died while on active military service in the line of duty.
Residency Requirements: The veteran must have been a permanent civilian resident of the State of Alabama for at least one year immediately prior to (a) the initial entry into active military service or (b) any subsequent period of military service in which a break (1 year or more) in service occurred and the Alabama civilian residency was established. Permanently service-connected veterans rated at 100% who did not enter service from Alabama, may qualify after establishing at least five years of permanent residency in Alabama prior to filing of an application or immediately prior to death, if deceased.
Entitlement: Four standard academic years or part-time equivalent at any Alabama state-supported institution of higher learning or a prescribed course of study at any Alabama state-supported technical school without payment of any tuition, required textbooks or instructional fees. Exception: A spouse or un-remarried widow (er) of a veteran who is rated 20 - 90% due to service-connected disabilities are only entitled to two standard academic years without payment of tuition, required textbooks and instructional fees or a prescribed technical course not to exceed 18 months of training. Note: Widow (er) forfeits benefits upon remarriage. Spouse forfeits benefits upon divorce from veteran in which the spouse derived their eligibility.
Age Deadline: The child or stepchild must initiate training prior to their 26th birthday. Age 30 deadline may apply in certain situations. There is no age deadline for submission of the application by the spouse or un-remarried widow (er).
Application Assistance: The department maintains an office in each county of the State which can furnish information and assist in filing your application. To find the office nearest you, click here.
It's Still Better than VEAP
I got stuck with that ridiculous VEAP program that some bean counter created after the demise of the original GI Bill. It sucked. You put in $1,200 at $100 per month. After that you didn't put any more in but the thing never paid back very much. By the time you got out you got a whopping $4,800 for college - that's all.
I guessed the whole purpose was to collect money up front, keep it in an interest bearing account and watch it grow while hoping the vets never get around to using it. Try going to college with 4,800 bucks. Good luck with that.
GI Bill just doesn't cut it
When kids join the military they hear about "the GI Bill" and think it will pay for their college. But the reality is that the GI Bill doesn't even pay the tuition at most universities, much less the registration, lab fees, books, etc. And veterans still can't go to school full time because they have to work to pay for their own food and shelter. The modern GI Bill is nothing like the GI Bill our grandfathers received after WWII. I should know, I just attended 1 year at a state university, and my GI Bill payments for 12 months were over $5000 short of covering just my bill from the university, not counting other related costs associated with attending.
perhaps, but...
Add to that the (Army, anyhow, but not sure about other services) College Fund, and a reasonable 4-year education at a public/state school is pretty easily within the grasp of those veterans who've prepared for it.
As veterans of our nation's military, I'd think that WE would have a very firm grasp on the concept of having to work to EARN what we want/need in life, rather than depend on a handout. GI Bill isn't so much a handout as a benefit. But nonetheless, I'm seeing a LOT of stories (NPR- Talk of the Nation, for instance) lately complaining that GI Bill no longer covers the full spectrum of costs associated with attending college.
Especially when you're trying to support a family, or as a single parent.
But let's face it- the $1,101.00 per month for up to 36 months that we ARE afforded (much less for reserve/national guard troops, though the other half of that story is Tuition Assistance for a guaranteed maximum of no less than $4,500.00 per month) amounts to a significant BOOST at least to one's financial ability to achieve a college degree or trade certification. And THAT brings up an even BETTER deal for separating active-duty folks...
Join the Reserve or National Guard! Seriously, if you're under 8 years' total serve, you're likely gonna get called up from IRR anyhow, so at least this way you can sorta pick your unit, rather than deploy with a bunch you've never met and never trained with. (Yeah, might've seen this one play out a time or two, y'think?) So join the Guard or Reserve and continue enjoying that $4,500.00 Tuition Assistance you've had all along (again, I can only speak of personal experience with the Army, and I apologize if this is inaccurate to the Navy, Marince Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard). In many states, the pot is sweetened for their respective Nationa Guards. For instance, the state I hope to serve in NEXT YEAR, my home state of Wild, Wonderful West Virginia (WVU #1, baby!) bumps that up to a max of $6k/year in TA at accredited state schools. THAT will cover your tuition and fees and books at EVERY state school in WV for most programs of study, so that $1,101.00 each month is basically a paycheck for nothing. Add drill pay in there. And then work over the summer at your local WalMart or Home Depot (a particularly veteran-friendly employer, last I heard) and add that income to your pay for Annual Training, and it should supplement your GI Bill nicely.
You're not gonna live like a king. Or queen. Whatever. BUT what college student DOES?
As for those who are married and supporting a family, or single parents, you're in a special situation. And I hate to sound harsh, but if you weren't in the military and tried to go to college as a single parent or while supporting a family, you'd have a REALLY darned tough time. Like a friend's mom who went ot college with me back in 1993. She was taking care of 8 kids without a full-time job and going to school full-time. She made it. But more than raising 15 kids or divorcing their dad when it was over, I bet you that was the toughest thing she ever did- going to college. Wanna bet? So if you were counting on GI Bill alone, or even GI Bill and College Fund, to afford you a free ride through that experience, why not just be glad that at least you're not going it completely alone?
Want some educational benefit type acknowledgement that you served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan admirably? That $39k+ that you get from Montgomery GI Bill, the Tuition Assistance you enjoyed all along (and if you're talking about the difficulties of going back to college, then I hope you've taken advantage of TA while still on active-duty), and perhaps even Vocational Rehabilitation for the disabled among us, should serve as a pretty BIG advantage over your non-veteran counterparts in financing your educational goals.
SOME ADVICE: Join the American Legion, VFW, or something. They usually offer scholarships, some of which aren't always that well-advertised, and offer preference to members and members' families. Even if it's only $500 or $1k a year, that's more than you had before. SAVE MONEY while you're still in. If you've got a mortgage or car note, pay that down first. But if possible, go into the college experience with omney in the bank. You can cover everything up-front a semester at a time, and reimburse yourself out of the GI Bill payments to recharge your savings account. APPLY for every scholarship you even REMOTELY qualify for. Marginal? Try it anyhow. If they turn you down, you're no worse off. But chances are you're gonna be surprised at just how much you DO find in scholarship cash out there. Again, money you didn't have before. SAVE YOUR MONEY! Did i mention that before? Yeah? Think maybe it's important? Yeah? Pay down your debts or save the cash. You know your finances better, so figure out what you and your family can afford and go make it work. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET! You're not gonna live lke you do on active-duty. Small, cramped, and not of the highest quality. These are terms tht will describe your living conditions for the next few years. If you think you're gonna live in a 1,400 sq ft home while you go to college, then I hope you've figured out how to do that Star Trek warpspeed stuff too, while you're out-thinking the rest of the free world. No one else lives like that. Be prepared to pay less and get less for it. Generic food brands. NO EATING OUT! Avoid bars and nightclubs. Regular Unleaded gas. perhaps riding a bicycle, taking the bus or WALKING to school and work and wherever else you have to go, as opposed to blowing $3.50/gallon to drive it. You're a college student now. You can't afford it. Mostly, use your doggone head.
THAT all said, yeah I'd be crazy if I said I oppose an increase in GI Bill. I'd LOVE to take the free ride through college when I start next year. That would be GREAT! Everything paid for atop a stipend for living expenses WITHOUT having to worry about deploying again in the middle of it? Yeah, I can hang with that.
Am I gonna get upset that I don't have a free ride already? Nope. A free ride wasn't in my contract when I signed it. And regardless of age, I knew what I was signing when I signed-up to serve in 1991...