2010
by Patrick Campbell
Last week, the House passed New GI Bill 2.0 (S.3447) by an overwhelming vote of 409-3! New GI Bill 2.0 will now head to the president’s desk for his signature before the New Year. This critical legislation will help hundreds of thousands of veterans get access to the generous education benefits offered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Next year alone this bill will help approximately:
Download the New GI Bill 2.0 chart.
For two years, IAVA and many other veterans’ organizations have fought hard to close loopholes, simplify the regulations and expand the benefits of the New GI Bill. With average veteran unemployment in 2010 above 11 percent, this bill will provide necessary training and support for the surge of new veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan to this difficult economy. We applaud Congress for its bipartisan leadership on this issue, and we urge the President to quickly sign the bill into law.
| 85,000 | Full-time National Guardsmen become eligible for the New GI Bill |
| 58,000 | Students at private and graduate schools with increased tuition benefits |
| 25,000 | Distance learners receive a monthly living allowance |
| 21,000 | Disabled vets using Voc Rehab with a doubled subsistence allowance |
| 19,000 | Active Duty servicemembers who will receive an annual book stipend |
| 6,000 | Vocational students who can receive tuition/fees and a monthly living allowance |
| 6,000 | OJT/Apprenticeship participants have access to an expanded new program |
| 6,000 | Schools receiving increased fees for processing student veterans’ paperwork |
| 180,000 | New recruits who will not have to pay $1,200 to buy into the old GI Bill |
| 394,000 | Total veterans in the first year |
To learn more about the New GI Bill 2.0 and how the upgrades might impact you, join IAVA's Winter GI Bill Forum on Tuesday, December 21st inside Community of Veterans. Click here to register.
