Summary of the "New" GI Bill
Attention veterans. If you’ve served in the military since 9/11, you are entitled to big increases in your military education benefits.
On June 20, 2008, the President signed into law the Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-252) to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also incorporates the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which contains a host of new benefits for GIs who have served in the military since the 9/11 terrorist acts.
The enhanced educational benefits, which the new law compares to those provided to World War II veterans, are payable for a total of 36 months, the equivalent of four years of college, and remain available for up to 15 years after a veteran’s last discharge or release from active duty.
At its maximum award amounts, the bill would:
- Allow veterans pursuing an approved program of education to receive payments covering established charges of their program up to the cost of the most expensive in-state public school
- Pay qualifying veterans a monthly housing cost stipend that would be adjusted by zip code to compensate for different costs of living
- Pay $1,000 annually to qualified veterans to cover books, supplies, equipment, and other educational costs
A full summary of the legislation is available on the NASFAA Web site.
