thedrifter
08-08-07, 07:21 AM
Editorial: Upgrade the GI Bill
Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb wants a renewed national commitment to the GI Bill to reward wartime service and sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
Webb would provide veterans a total average monthly benefit of $2,400, far above today’s $1,075 maximum. And the cost of that has the Pentagon worried.
His plan would be a full ride —tuition and fees at four-year institutions at in-state rates, plus a $1,000 monthly living stipend.
As recently as May, however, he had not provided cost estimates. The only independent estimate to date pegs it at $75 billion over 10 years — and that’s real money even in Washington.
Too much, the Pentagon says. It’s not only the cost, but also the concern that such a generous incentive would lead many bright young troops to leave earlier than they would otherwise in order to use the benefits.
But this plan has potential that merits a closer look.
The original post-World War II GI Bill sent millions of veterans to college and laid groundwork for the middle class boom. But over the years, it was allowed to erode in value, which might not have been a critical issue in the long twilight peacetime of the Cold War.
But against the backdrop of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it no longer fits. In a wartime environment, such a package might also attract a different type of recruit enticed not only by the idea of getting a top-flight education, but also by the idea of coming out the other end with a debt-free degree.
Webb needs to figure out a way to pay for this. Is it possible the services could offset some of the cost by reducing the use of large enlistment bonuses and offer the enhanced GI Bill as an alternative?
A different incentive mix might yield a different kind of recruit. It’s time to overhaul the GI Bill for a new force in a new war in a new century.
Ellie
Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb wants a renewed national commitment to the GI Bill to reward wartime service and sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
Webb would provide veterans a total average monthly benefit of $2,400, far above today’s $1,075 maximum. And the cost of that has the Pentagon worried.
His plan would be a full ride —tuition and fees at four-year institutions at in-state rates, plus a $1,000 monthly living stipend.
As recently as May, however, he had not provided cost estimates. The only independent estimate to date pegs it at $75 billion over 10 years — and that’s real money even in Washington.
Too much, the Pentagon says. It’s not only the cost, but also the concern that such a generous incentive would lead many bright young troops to leave earlier than they would otherwise in order to use the benefits.
But this plan has potential that merits a closer look.
The original post-World War II GI Bill sent millions of veterans to college and laid groundwork for the middle class boom. But over the years, it was allowed to erode in value, which might not have been a critical issue in the long twilight peacetime of the Cold War.
But against the backdrop of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it no longer fits. In a wartime environment, such a package might also attract a different type of recruit enticed not only by the idea of getting a top-flight education, but also by the idea of coming out the other end with a debt-free degree.
Webb needs to figure out a way to pay for this. Is it possible the services could offset some of the cost by reducing the use of large enlistment bonuses and offer the enhanced GI Bill as an alternative?
A different incentive mix might yield a different kind of recruit. It’s time to overhaul the GI Bill for a new force in a new war in a new century.
Ellie