Moore Hails Start Of New GI Bill College Benefits

Press Release

Moore Hails Start Of New GI Bill College Benefits

Tomorrow, veterans will start receiving college education benefits under the GI Bill for the 21st Century, which passed last year. An estimated 2.1 million members of the military who have been on active duty since September 11, 2001 - including activated reservists and members of the National Guard - will be eligible for up to four years of education benefits because of the bill. This year, Congress extended those college benefits to all children of fallen soldiers, with no minimum military service needed to qualify.

Congresswoman Moore said the following:

"Tomorrow is a very important day for the millions of brave servicemen and women who have proudly served our country since the terrorist attacks of September 11. Consider for a moment all the young men and women who felt compelled to volunteer for the military after 9/11, and all they had to give up in order to put on a uniform. They left their families, their hometowns, and may have even put off their education because our country needed them.

"We can never fully repay these men and women for their service, but this new GI Bill will give them something invaluable - the key to a college education. This full college education benefit for recent veterans and to the children of fallen soldiers will prepare millions of men and women to become productive members of the workforce, which will also strengthen our economy. These brave service members and the children whose moms and dads have died in military service are very deserving of these benefits."

Last year, Congress enacted the new GI Bill for the 21st Century to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. On May 1, veterans were able to start applying for a certificate of eligibility for these new college benefits at the VA Web site.

Generally, the measure provides up to four years of education benefits at a college or university for individuals with at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001 who have been honorably discharged from service. The benefits are correlated on a sliding scale to the total months served. In order to receive full benefits, the individual must have served on active duty for three years. This program will pay for:

* Tuition and fees of up to the maximum in-state tuition and fees at a public institution in your state;
* A monthly housing allowance at the location of the school, based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents; and
* An annual books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000.

These benefits are generally payable for up to 15 years following release from active duty.

All of the children of service members who have died on active duty since September 11, 2001 qualify for the full education benefit, regardless of how long their parent served in the military. These benefits expire 15 years after the 18th birthday of surviving military children.

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