WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Congressman Dan Boren voted late Thursday evening to expand the GI Bill for the first time since the end of WWII. The measure passed as part of H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Among other provisions, the GI Bill expansion fully restores GI educational benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to the level available to veterans after World War II.
“On Thursday, we honored our veterans with our words and our deeds,” said Boren. “This legislation will ensure the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can attend college and get the education they need after they have courageously served our nation.”
According to the Department of Defense, more than 22,242 Oklahomans have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since September 2001. As reported by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Oklahoma ranks 19th in the nation for the number of current GI students with 9,616. Unfortunately, current benefits pay only about 70 percent of a public college education and 30 percent of a private college education for these veterans when they return home.
“We asked these brave young men and women to answer the call to duty and leave their families behind to head-off to war,” Boren said. “It is imperative that we give them every opportunity for a successful transition back to life at home by providing for their future careers and the well-being of their families.”
Under the new GI bill expansion, service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan that served 3 years of active duty, would receive benefits to cover the costs of a four-year education up to the level of the most expensive in-state public school. Partial education benefits would also be available to troops who have served at least 3 months of active duty since September 11, 2001, including members of the National Guard and Reserve.
The measure includes a provision to allow service members with six years of service, coupled with an additional service agreement of four years, to transfer their educational benefits to their spouses and dependents.
The expansion will cost approximately $796 million over the first two years and $62.8 billion over the next 11 years. It is broadly supported by all major veterans’ organizations, including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
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