Schumer-Led Legislation To Help Thousands Of Returning Upstate NY Soldiers Afford A College Education Passes Senate - Bill To Go To President's Desk

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Schumer-Led Legislation To Help Thousands Of Returning Upstate NY Soldiers Afford A College Education Passes Senate - Bill To Go To President's Desk

Schumer-Led GI Bill Greatly Expanding Financial Assistance for Returning Soldiers to Attend College, Including Stipends for Tuition, Living Costs, and Books Passed Full Senate Late Last Night Current GI Bill Not Equipped to Handle Wave of Young Returning Soldiers, Leaving them Unable to Meet Rising College Costs That Average Over $17,000 at a Public Institution in NYS - Only 15% of all those Currently Deployed Hold a Bachelor's Degree Number of Younger Vets Across Upstate NY is Set to Soar: Currently there are 84,000 Vets in the Capital Region, over 74,000 in CNY, over 146,000 in the HV, over 53,000 in the N. Country, over 94,000 in the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, over 58,000 in the Southern Tier, and over 129,000 in Western NY

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced Senate passage of the updated GI Bill - a bill Schumer fought to deliver so that returning veterans can afford and attend college. In April, Senator Schumer said that thousands of returning Upstate New York soldiers will be hard-pressed to afford college education under the current GI bill, which is woefully outdated and does not keep up with the skyrocketing costs of education. The GI Bill benefits have not undergone an expansive overhaul since they were originally developed in World War II. Until last night's Senate passage of the bill, there have only been minimal updates to education benefits. Soldiers from Upstate New York currently rely on the Montgomery version of the GI Bill, which was developed during peacetime, not wartime. Without being updated to reflect the rising cost of college tuition and books, the current law is inadequate to serve the rising number of young veterans returning home during a time of war. The White House has indicated that it will sign the bill into law.

In April, Schumer pushed for the bipartisan GI Bill (which has now passed the House and Senate and was introduced by Senator Jim Webb, D-VA) to greatly expand benefits for service members seeking to attend college or take advantage of other educational opportunities. The benefits include increased financial assistance for education programs, larger stipends for living costs and educational expenses like books. The bill would give veterans who served at least three years on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, a full college education, covering the cost of tuition, room and board at the most expensive in-state public university. Current law, known as the Montgomery GI Bill, covers only about half the cost of a college education today, veterans groups have said.

According to Department of Defense January 2008 deployment statistics, over 65% of enlisted and officers currently deployed are under the age of 30, and only 15% of all those deployed hold a bachelor's degree. While almost 80% of officers currently deployed have a bachelor's degree or higher, only 4% of enlisted soldiers, making up the vast majority of those deployed, have obtained a college diploma. Many reports have revealed that service members would like to pursue advanced education and training to maintain competiveness in today's economy.

"This is great news for the thousands of Upstate New York veterans and the many more that will be returning home in the next few years," Schumer said. "Our brave soldiers shouldn't be nickel and dimed when they have sacrificed so much. This bill will make sure our veterans have the financial means to afford tuition, housing, books, and other fees if they choose to pursue a college degree."

During World War II, the first G.I. Bill was created to offer educational assistance for returning students, with an estimated 7.8 million veterans taking advantage of the offered benefits. Over the last several decades, new versions of the G.I. Bill have been passed by Congress but the benefits awarded have never been as expansive as the nation's original G.I. Bill.

Today, returning service members across Upstate New York rely on the Montgomery version of the G.I Bill, which was designed for peacetime, not wartime. The Montgomery version has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of college tuition and educated-related expenses across New York State, and it's estimated that the maximum a veteran can receive under the current program is approximately $1,100 per month, or $38,000 over four years—well under the cost of attending a 4-year private school in Upstate NY, and below the combined costs of tuition, housing and educational materials at both private and public schools across the state.

The current G.I. Bill only provides financial assistance for tuition expenses. However, the costs of attending college go well beyond just tuition, including books, supplies, lab fees and other academic fees, transportation, and housing expenses, often doubling the costs of tuition alone. In New York State, the average price of attending a 4 -year public college in New York is $17,630 per year ($70,520 over 4 years) and a 4-year private college in New York is $34,440 per year ($137,760 over 4 years). The price tag is even higher for veterans with families who have higher living expenses and must sacrifice one-income so one parent can attend school full time.

In New York State, the number of young veterans seeking additional educational opportunities is expected to soar as the 9,200 New York soldiers and 1,300 reservists currently deployed return home.

With many U.S. troops having served two, three or four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, the time is long overdue to enact a new veterans educational program to expand on the World War II G.I. Bill. Under the current law, veterans have a short window of time in which to take advantage of an education benefit after serving, and with over six years already passed since 9/11, the time window is closing on many.

For Upstate New York, having an educated workforce is vital to ongoing economic development and luring new businesses to the region. It's estimated that the original G.I. Bill from WWII sparked economic growth and expansion for a whole generation of Americans. It's estimated that for every dollar invested in WWII, seven dollars were generated. Schumer and other Senators have argued that a new, overhauled G.I. Bill can spur the same economic results.

Today Schumer announced that after working with Senator Webb and negotiations with the White House, the new G.I. Bill passed the Senate and will go to the President to be signed into law. The bill will greatly increase educational benefits to all members of the military who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, including activated reservists and National Guards.

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