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‘G.I. Bill 2.0’ passes Senate committee, gains support

A Senate committee has taken a first step toward what veterans groups are calling “GI Bill 2.0” — a revised version of the year-old Post-9/11 GI Bill that attempts to simplify and clarify the education benefits program.

Supporters of the changes say S 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, passed Aug. 5 by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, could become law later this year, although many changes would not take effect until the fall 2011 school term.

“This is a very good bill, and fixes many flaws. We are on our way to getting the GI Bill 2.0,” said Tim Embree of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, who predicted the bill could become law before Election Day on Nov. 2.

Eric Hilleman of Veterans of Foreign Wars was equally supportive, if a bit less optimistic about quick enactment. “We do not yet know the full cost of these improvements, and that would be a factor in whether there are enough votes to pass it,” he said.

The bill, a compromise between veterans groups and the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, has two big things going for it, Hilleman said: It includes many changes that fix problems in the current program — so there is a strong case for pushing ahead quickly — and the measure has the support of the chairmen of the House and Senate veterans’ affairs committees.

In most cases, the bill would make a generous program even more so. But it would trim some benefits. For example, active-duty members attending private schools, who now have their full tuition and fees paid, would have their reimbursements capped at $20,000 a year.

Living stipends for people attending school less than full time also could decrease for some students. Instead of providing a full stipend for eligible students who attend school more than half-time, stipends would be paid to those who are attending classes half-time or more — a slight expansion of eligibility — but payments would be adjusted for the number of credits taken.

The bill also would open up the possibility that the Pentagon might limit which service members may share their GI Bill benefits with family members, a right currently extended to almost all of the career force.

While the bill would not block transfer rights, it has language clarifying that the whole purpose of transferability of benefits is to promote recruiting and retention, not to create a new militarywide benefit.

Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, the bill is similar to HR 5933, introduced July 29 by Rep. Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, and co-sponsored by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Armed Services Committee chairman.

Ideally, GI Bill improvements would take effect right away, but Embree said he is fine with delaying changes until next year.

“I would rather see VA implement changes right the first time than to rush them into law and have problems with implementation,” he said.

How the GI Bill would change

The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act would make several changes effective Aug. 1, 2011, in the year-old education benefits program.

Highlights:

• Book allowances. Active-duty service members, and their spouses using transferred benefits, would be eligible for the $1,000 annual book allowance now denied them.

• Guard and reserve credit. National Guard and reserve members would get more credit toward earning benefits. Time in the Active Guard and Reserve program — full-time active service in administrative and support roles — would count, as would mobilization for federally declared national emergencies. Credit would be retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001, and be immediately reflected in benefits eligibility when the bill is enacted.

• Tuition payments. Tuition and fee payments would be overhauled, with an end to state payment caps. For those enrolled in public schools, VA would pay the full in-state tuition and fees. For those in private schools, including active-duty members who now receive full tuition, VA would reimburse actual costs up to $20,000 a year — also the limit for those enrolled in foreign schools.

• Living stipends. Monthly payments would be pro-rated based on the number of course credits. Stipends would be available to those attending classes as more than half-time students, but payments would be pro-rated for those who are less than full-time students. For many, this would be less than the full stipend now paid to all students who are more than half-time.

Distance-learning students would get reduced payments. Living stipends would be paid to students taking solely distance-learning classes, but they would get half the rate given to those attending so-called brick-and-mortar institutions.

Annual adjustments would happen Aug. 1, to reflect changes made the previous Jan. 1 in the military housing allowances on which stipends are based. Current law requires stipends to match military allowances without clearly stating when the stipends should be adjusted.

• Vocational and non-degree classes. On-the-job training and apprenticeships would become covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, with participants eligible to receive living stipends based on the location of their employers. They also would be eligible for the book allowance.

• Licensing and certification. The $2,000 benefit for these types of courses no longer would be a one-time benefit. Multiple courses or tests would be reimbursed as long as total reimbursement does not top $2,000.