Congress approves changes to Post-9/11 GI Bill
Amendment will help many student veterans, but hurt others.

By Dan Fazio

Congress gave many veterans an early holiday gift when, the week before Christmas, it amended the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 pleasantly surprised many, since the measure had stalled earlier in the fall.

“Assisting veterans who are pursuing an education is a vital part of our commitment to the young men and women in the armed services,” said Sen.

Daniel Akaka, (D-Hawaii), who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and sponsored the bill. “This bill will improve the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, and I applaud my colleagues in the House and Senate for supporting it.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is already considered the best education benefit since the original GI Bill. The following amendments, however, were designed to improve the bill:

• Fund vocational and on-the-job training
• Expand eligibility to include National Guardsmen who are activated for domestic assistance
• Provide a book stipend to active duty troops and their spouses
• Provide a pro-rated living stipend to students who are enrolled in distance learning
• Provide severely wounded veterans and their caregivers with additional time to use their benefits
• The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), which lobbied hard for the amendments, is pleased as well.

“The Post-9/11 GI Bill was a historic commitment to this generation of veterans, but there were loopholes that left out tens of thousands of new vets,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “For two years, IAVA has fought hard to close those loopholes, simplify the regulations and expand benefits. The upgrades passed today will finish the work we started by giving thousands of additional veterans key skills and on-the-job training to transition from combat to career.”

Not everyone was giddy about the changes. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., who retired at the end of the congressional session, was critical of changes to the tuition formula for those attending private schools because it will leave some student veterans with a shortfall.

“I can’t think of a worse idea than to cut a veteran benefit during the Christmas and the holiday season,” said Buyer, the ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said during debate on the bill. “All Americans know that the month of December is already a strain on their pocketbook and to have your paycheck cut would be devastating to anyone. This provision is nothing but a lump of coal for veterans.”

Despite the criticism, the amendments passed by Congress represent changes pushed for by numerous veteran service organizations and several lawmakers, including Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington.

Most of the changes will not go into effect until August 2011.