All Veterans Deserve the Best Education Possible
No "Second Class" Veterans
Letter to the Editor
On a piece of legislation that is important to thousands of Florida's veterans, service members, and their families, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (6th Cong Dist) has remained irresponsibly and conspicuously silent.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007- H.R. 2702 (the “new GI Bill”) seeks to reform the Montgomery GI Bill to reflect the much higher costs and financial difficulties placed on today's veterans when pursuing college and other higher education.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain, however, just introduced a bill to water down benefits for vets and undercut the bipartisan effort to give them the total educational support they deserve and need. This new Republican bill creates "second class veterans" out of members of the National Guard and Reserve, even if they serve multiple tours in Afghanistan or Iraq.
In Florida and across the nation, the cost of college has far surpassed the benefits paid under the existing GI Bill. Furthermore, many service members are starting college or pursuing a second degree in their late 20s, 30s, or even 40s. Many veterans find themselves with GI Bill benefits that cover only a fraction of tuition and do nothing for all the additional costs.
The original GI Bill provided millions of World War II veterans, mostly from poor and working-class families, the opportunity to earn college degrees to create the American middle class. Over the last decade, the costs of higher education have increased far faster than the benefits.
Today the GI Bill will pay $1,101 a month for 36 months, that’s $9,909 per academic year. The cost of attending the University of Florida or Florida State University, for example, will be between $16,000 and $18,000 per year, for tuition, fees, books, room, board, and related expenses. The average annual costs for non-public or out-of-state colleges are well over $30,000.
Returning WWII veterans were rewarded for their service. Veterans returning to Ocala, Gainesville, Leesburg, or Orange Park could pursue an education at the best schools in the country without having to worry about the cost.
But those who have risked their lives in Baghdad, Basra, Tal'Afar, or Kandahar would be hard pressed to complete a bachelor's degree in any of Florida’s fine state schools without either working full-time or taking out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans; and, attending a non-state school would be impossible for almost all veterans. And, not only do veterans need to pay their own expenses, but many also have children to support.
This House bill and its Senate companion enjoy bipartisan support and would improve the lives of Florida’s veterans, service members, and their families. Their needs clearly are not being addressed by current policy. Our current congressman has not sponsored, supported, or promoted this new GI Bill? Why?
When I am in Congress, I will not only vote for this new law, but I will be an active advocate for every effort to reward those who have made the greatest sacrifice to defend our nation.
