I thought I’d pass this email content along. Itis alot to read but the changes are great and will benefit many of us. So take a moment and read…

Highlights – The New GI Bill

* President Bush signed the bill June 30, 2008
* The new GI Bill assures young veterans a chance at a free four-year publiccollege or university degree, starting August 2009.
* Spouses and children will see benefits, too. Reservists will see moremoney for college. Even vets who have served after 9/11 and who got out yearsago could get a free college education.
* Bill was truly a bi-partisan effort. Sen. Jim Webb introduced the historiclegislation. House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid did a greatjob of bringing both parties and Houses together. Republicans improved theBill by adding the option of being able to TRANSFER BENEFITS TO FAMILYMEMBERS.
* Servicemembers work very hard and make great sacrifices everyday to earnthis benefit. The rising costs of college have far outpaced the previouseducational benefits available to our military. This GI Bill is much closerto the spirit of the 1944 Servicemen’s Readjustment Act. It will make a realdifference to many military veterans and their families.

Provisions of the billFor Active Duty Troops:

* The bill gets rid of the current enrollment requirements, replacing themwith language mandating at least three months’ active duty service in themilitary since Sept. 11, 2001, for partial GI Bill benefits.
* Anyone who has served at least three years on active duty since then iseligible for four years of tuition costs at their home state’s universities,plus a monthly stipend for housing and living expenses which averages about$1100 nationwide, depending on where the veteran attends college.
* Each year, the veterans will also be eligible for $1,200 in tutoringservices and $1,000 more to cover books. Altogether, the benefit could topmore than $25,000 a year in the most expensive states.
* If troops or veterans attend state schools that are less expensive, theywon’t get to pocket the difference – the benefit only covers what veteransare actually charged by their school. If they decide to go to a privateschool or out-of-state college, they’ll have to cover the difference betweentheir higher tuition bill and the state-assigned reimbursement figure.
* The benefit lasts for 15 years now, instead of 10, giving troops extratime after leaving the military to either use their benefit or pass it along.For Spouses and dependents:
* Under a provision backed by the Pentagon, troops who served at least 10years on active duty will be able to transfer their benefit to a spouse ordependent child. Spouses can receive the money even sooner, if theirservicemember has served at least six years and agrees to another four-yearcontract.
* Families can divide the benefit up however it benefits them most, as longas they don’t exceed those 36 months of college classes. For example, aretired soldier can use two years of benefits to pay for a two-year degreeprogram, then transfer the last two years to a spouse or child.
* For long-serving servicemembers, the changes mean that their college-agechildren could get a free college education starting fall 2009, provided theyattend a state-backed school.

For Reservists and Veterans:

* Guardsmen and reservists who served at least three years on active dutyin the past seven years automatically qualify for the full tuition benefitjust like other troops. Those who served less active time, but at least threemonths, will receive between 40 and 90 percent of the tuition benefit, basedon a sliding scale.
* More importantly, the benefit can be used within 15 years of theirseparation from the service, instead of the current requirement that theyremain in the Guard or Reserve to receive the money.
* For those veterans who have already used all of their GI Bill benefits,the changes don’t offer any new money.
* Veterans who have not yet used up their education benefits, or those whonever signed up for the GI Bill when they were serving, can take advantage ofthe new rules.
* As long as they served at least three years on active duty after Sept.11, 2001, they’re eligible for the same free tuition.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE

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