DeLauro Discusses Educational Benefits of GI Bill at Forum

New Haven, CT – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn. -3) held a forum on the new GI Bill to discuss the benefits, eligibility, and access for veterans. Joining DeLauro were Jack Mordente, Director of Veterans Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University, Gerry Jacques of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Education, and Cheryl Norton, President of SCSU. Last year the Congress fought for landmark legislation, the GI Bill for the 21st Century – signed into law on June 30, 2008 – to greatly expand educational benefits.

"The new GI Bill is a significant step forward in our effort to honor the men and women who courageously serve our nation – giving them the chance to attend college and succeed when they come home. And it is important to me to make sure that the more than quarter of a million military personnel from Connecticut who served in Iraq and Afghanistan know the benefits available to them as a veteran. This forum is an opportunity to bring veterans together with an experienced school veteran's benefits coordinator like Jack Mordente and an expert from Veterans Affairs to make sure they know what benefits are available to them and how they can take advantage of them," said DeLauro.

The Department of Veterans Affairs started processing applications today [May 1, 2009] and veterans will be able to use the new benefit beginning August 1, 2009. The new GI Bill restores full, four-year college scholarships to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to help make them part of an economic recovery like the veterans of World War II. Previously, benefits only paid only about 70 % of a public college education and 30 % of a private college education for these veterans when they return home.

On the economic benefit, DeLauro added, "The new GI bill will make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans part of an American economic recovery. It offers the same chance as the original GI bill to spark economic growth and expansion for a whole generation of Americans. In fact, for every dollar invested in veterans, seven dollars were generated."

The original G.I. bill, which Franklin Roosevelt signed in 1944, provided full tuition, housing and living costs for some 8 million returning veterans launching millions of families on a course of prosperity and toward achieving the American Dream—and set the American economy on the right course after a draining war.

Yet, the original G.I. bill scaled back over time to such an extent that the most a veteran can receive was approximately $9,600 a year for four years-no matter what the college costs. With this law, Congress made clear that today's veterans' sacrifices are no less than those of that generation, and they are more than entitled to the same level of benefits.

Specifically, the GI Bill for the 21st Century will:

· Provide Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, including Guard and Reservists, who served 3 years on active duty, benefits to cover the costs of a four-year education at the most expensive in-state public school, along with a stipend for housing, books and other expenses.

· Offer veterans up to 15 years after they leave active duty to use their educational benefits.

· Offer a federal government match, dollar for dollar, of any voluntary contributions to veterans from schools whose tuition is higher than the most expensive state public school.

· Allow service members to transfer up to 3 years of their unused education benefits to their dependents after committing to 10 years of service.