thedrifter
05-01-09, 07:12 AM
School aid for veterans goes up
Friday, May 01, 2009
BY TOMAS DINGES
Star-Ledger Staff
Marine Reservist Kevin Bogle of Basking Ridge said he first heard about the benefits of the new GI bill when he was serving in Iraq this past winter.
His commanding officer told the Marines that under the new bill, called the Post-9/11 GI Bill and passed by Congress last June, would provide more financial aid for tuition, books and housing than the previous program.
"There was a general consensus of at least my platoon that it was pretty sweet," said Bogle, 23, who will be a senior this fall studying criminology at Penn State.
Bogle said he knew immediately that he wanted to be "the first in line" to start the application process.
He now has his chance.
Starting today, the Veterans Administration will begin to accept applications from service members and veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.
Benefits will start to be paid beginning in August.
In preliminary calculations, Bogle calculates that the 12 months he spent on active duty with the Marines mean he could receive a 60 percent subsidy of a year of tuition, books and housing while studying at Penn State.
The most important part of the new bill increases the amount of money offered for tuition and expenses. For public colleges and universities, it will cover in-state tuition in full, plus a monthly housing stipend and up to $1,000 per year for books.
Veterans looking to attend private schools under the Yellow Ribbon provision of the bill will see a similar benefit. Under the provision, the government will pay private schools an amount equal to the maximum in-state tuition at public colleges. Additionally, private colleges participating in this program agree to pay a portion of the remaining tuition which will then be matched by the Veterans Administration.
The current GI bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, will still be available for service members who served before 9/11 and provides a fixed amount for tuition payments and no stipend for other expenses. It is the only bill that covers technical education and licensing and certification programs, according to the Veterans Administration.
The new bill also provides enhanced benefits for reservists and Guardsmen. They will now have 15 years to use their benefits, and will be able to accumulate time spent on active duty on multiple tours toward the cumulative total of active duty.
Time spent on active duty determines the amount of coverage of the bill.
The Post-9/11 Bill passed Congress a year ago amid concerns by the Department of Defense and politicians that it would deter re-enlistment, and a determination by supporters to provide support for returning troops. At the time, Paul Rieckhoff, president and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, called it a renewal of a pledge of opportunities made originally to veterans of World War II.
"This legislation again fulfills that promise, and will do nothing less than change the course of an entire generation," he said.
The first GI Bill was created after World War II in 1944 as an effort by President Franklin Roosevelt and the American Legion, a veterans group, to accommodate the millions of young veterans re-entering civilian life.
It is estimated that four out of five World War II veterans used the first GI Bill, according to data of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission. In 1966, the bill was expanded to veterans who had served during times of peace and war.
The youngest of six children in his family, Bogle said the economic downturn has placed financial pressures on his family. Soon after he heard about the bill, Bogle e-mailed his parents from Iraq.
"It was pretty much a relief to hear about it," he said.
Ellie
Friday, May 01, 2009
BY TOMAS DINGES
Star-Ledger Staff
Marine Reservist Kevin Bogle of Basking Ridge said he first heard about the benefits of the new GI bill when he was serving in Iraq this past winter.
His commanding officer told the Marines that under the new bill, called the Post-9/11 GI Bill and passed by Congress last June, would provide more financial aid for tuition, books and housing than the previous program.
"There was a general consensus of at least my platoon that it was pretty sweet," said Bogle, 23, who will be a senior this fall studying criminology at Penn State.
Bogle said he knew immediately that he wanted to be "the first in line" to start the application process.
He now has his chance.
Starting today, the Veterans Administration will begin to accept applications from service members and veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.
Benefits will start to be paid beginning in August.
In preliminary calculations, Bogle calculates that the 12 months he spent on active duty with the Marines mean he could receive a 60 percent subsidy of a year of tuition, books and housing while studying at Penn State.
The most important part of the new bill increases the amount of money offered for tuition and expenses. For public colleges and universities, it will cover in-state tuition in full, plus a monthly housing stipend and up to $1,000 per year for books.
Veterans looking to attend private schools under the Yellow Ribbon provision of the bill will see a similar benefit. Under the provision, the government will pay private schools an amount equal to the maximum in-state tuition at public colleges. Additionally, private colleges participating in this program agree to pay a portion of the remaining tuition which will then be matched by the Veterans Administration.
The current GI bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, will still be available for service members who served before 9/11 and provides a fixed amount for tuition payments and no stipend for other expenses. It is the only bill that covers technical education and licensing and certification programs, according to the Veterans Administration.
The new bill also provides enhanced benefits for reservists and Guardsmen. They will now have 15 years to use their benefits, and will be able to accumulate time spent on active duty on multiple tours toward the cumulative total of active duty.
Time spent on active duty determines the amount of coverage of the bill.
The Post-9/11 Bill passed Congress a year ago amid concerns by the Department of Defense and politicians that it would deter re-enlistment, and a determination by supporters to provide support for returning troops. At the time, Paul Rieckhoff, president and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, called it a renewal of a pledge of opportunities made originally to veterans of World War II.
"This legislation again fulfills that promise, and will do nothing less than change the course of an entire generation," he said.
The first GI Bill was created after World War II in 1944 as an effort by President Franklin Roosevelt and the American Legion, a veterans group, to accommodate the millions of young veterans re-entering civilian life.
It is estimated that four out of five World War II veterans used the first GI Bill, according to data of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission. In 1966, the bill was expanded to veterans who had served during times of peace and war.
The youngest of six children in his family, Bogle said the economic downturn has placed financial pressures on his family. Soon after he heard about the bill, Bogle e-mailed his parents from Iraq.
"It was pretty much a relief to hear about it," he said.
Ellie