| New Post-9/11 GI Bill Leaves Some States Out In the Cold The Post-9/11 GI Bill was created to help soldiers enlisted after September 10, 2001 with college tuition and fees after their service was complete. Unfortunately, although the bill has opened up doors for many veterans, others won’t be so lucky. The newest bill passed by Congress ensures veterans partial to full coverage of tuition and other college-associated fees equal or less than the highest public school’s tuition. The problem? The bill does not offer equal benefits across the nation but increases fluctuation from state to state. Many states choose to keep their public school tuition low, which causes the benefit amount of veterans in those states to decrease, lessening their likelihood of attending the private or graduate school of their choice. Many veterans cannot afford to attend the private schools they want because their benefit allowance barely covers a single year’s tuition. The New Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most generous bill passed since its installation in 1944, offering full-coverage of tuition and fees for student veterans. Many of the benefits under the new bill may be transferred to dependents, pending clearance of certain requirements. Even with the additions to the bill, though, many veterans are forced to attend community colleges or public schools. Veterans are saying it just isn’t fair. Lindsey Mask, a spokeswoman for Representative Howard McKeon of California who is trying to correct the issue, states, “California’s generosity on state tuition was intended to keep college costs down, not inadvertently increase costs of the state’s veterans.” MilitaryConnection.com is your go-to site for GI Bill information. We are a leader in military and veteran resources offering a multitude of free information to our users. Our thousands of pages include a job board, a virtual job fair and information on scholarships and schools as well as military loans. Our directory of employers is host to over 10,000 employers and our job tips columns offer expert advice for every job seeker. When you have a question about education, jobs or even where the nearest military golf course is, visit MilitaryConnection.com, your “go-to” site for everything military. |