thedrifter
07-11-07, 06:00 AM
Veterans' tuition breaks expand
By Mary Beth Marklein and Clair Lorell, USA TODAY
A growing number of states are cutting college tuition for recent veterans in a show of gratitude, but also in some cases to fill gaps in the federal GI Bill. Though most of the state laws honor veterans for their sacrifices, some also address disparities between the treatment of members of the regular military — Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force — and of National Guard troops, over whom states have jurisdiction.
Until 9/11, National Guard units were rarely deployed to combat zones or for long periods of time. Since then, about 240,000 Guard members, many of them college students, have been called up.
"The National Guard has been mobilized in a way that no one anticipated," says Texas state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. "So yes, (state legislation) is bubbling up."
The number of states offering a tuition break to recent veterans has more than tripled, from six to 19, since 9/11. Five states passed laws this year; several have proposals in the pipeline. Benefits range from a full ride for veterans in Illinois to a tuition freeze in Tennessee for Guard and Reserves mobilized for at least six months. They typically must attend a state school and meet residency and academic requirements.
Nearly every state today also offers tuition help for Guard members who attend college while enlisted, but those benefits end when members leave the service. They also end for members of the Reserves.
Congress has tinkered with federal laws, and several Senate proposals would expand benefits even more. But University of Kansas senior Dan Parker, 25, a Marine who served two tours in Iraq, says states have some responsibility because rapidly rising tuitions and shrinking higher education budgets contribute to the problem.
"If you want (to get) a four-year education on the GI Bill, you're going to have to go in debt or work all the time," says Parker, who helped craft a bill this year that led to a $250,000 scholarship fund for Kansas veterans.
But as states face tight budgets, lawmakers struggle with where to draw the line.
• In Wisconsin, where a 100% waiver kicked in this month, some lawmakers want to pare back eligibility.
• Maryland placed 40 applicants on a waiting list after exhausting its $500,000 scholarship budget.
• Last year, Massachusetts enacted only part of a proposal, providing a fee waiver to National Guard members but not to other veterans.
Contributing: Heather Collura, Marissa DeCuir; Ben Jones, The Post-Crescent in ******on, Wis.
States all over the map on tuition aid
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-07-10-gi-bill-states_N.htm
Ellie
By Mary Beth Marklein and Clair Lorell, USA TODAY
A growing number of states are cutting college tuition for recent veterans in a show of gratitude, but also in some cases to fill gaps in the federal GI Bill. Though most of the state laws honor veterans for their sacrifices, some also address disparities between the treatment of members of the regular military — Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force — and of National Guard troops, over whom states have jurisdiction.
Until 9/11, National Guard units were rarely deployed to combat zones or for long periods of time. Since then, about 240,000 Guard members, many of them college students, have been called up.
"The National Guard has been mobilized in a way that no one anticipated," says Texas state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, president of the National Conference of State Legislatures. "So yes, (state legislation) is bubbling up."
The number of states offering a tuition break to recent veterans has more than tripled, from six to 19, since 9/11. Five states passed laws this year; several have proposals in the pipeline. Benefits range from a full ride for veterans in Illinois to a tuition freeze in Tennessee for Guard and Reserves mobilized for at least six months. They typically must attend a state school and meet residency and academic requirements.
Nearly every state today also offers tuition help for Guard members who attend college while enlisted, but those benefits end when members leave the service. They also end for members of the Reserves.
Congress has tinkered with federal laws, and several Senate proposals would expand benefits even more. But University of Kansas senior Dan Parker, 25, a Marine who served two tours in Iraq, says states have some responsibility because rapidly rising tuitions and shrinking higher education budgets contribute to the problem.
"If you want (to get) a four-year education on the GI Bill, you're going to have to go in debt or work all the time," says Parker, who helped craft a bill this year that led to a $250,000 scholarship fund for Kansas veterans.
But as states face tight budgets, lawmakers struggle with where to draw the line.
• In Wisconsin, where a 100% waiver kicked in this month, some lawmakers want to pare back eligibility.
• Maryland placed 40 applicants on a waiting list after exhausting its $500,000 scholarship budget.
• Last year, Massachusetts enacted only part of a proposal, providing a fee waiver to National Guard members but not to other veterans.
Contributing: Heather Collura, Marissa DeCuir; Ben Jones, The Post-Crescent in ******on, Wis.
States all over the map on tuition aid
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-07-10-gi-bill-states_N.htm
Ellie