The Gi Bill And How It Effected Student Equity

On the day Sputnik first orbited the earth, the chief clerk of the Senate’s Education and Labor Committee, Stewart McClure, sent a memo to his chairman, Alabama Democrat Lister Hill, reminding him that during the last three Congresses the Senate had passed legislation for federal funding of education, but that all of those bills had died in the House. Perhaps if they re-designated the education bill to a defense bill, it might pass. Senator Hill, a former Democratic whip and a savvy legislative tactician, seized upon on the idea, which led to the National Defense Education Act (Senate.gov).

As a graduate student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, I had the opportunity to enhance my understanding of higher education through my coursework, and involvement with on campus organizations. While a graduate student, I also worked in both the student affairs and academic advising department and, I was able to conduct research as part of course assignments. As a non-traditional, first-generation undergraduate student, I found particular interest in research topics involving non-traditional students like myself. I found interest in the history of financial aid and the admission process in regards to a student who took less traditional routes to access higher education.

Some of the programs that the American GI Forum offers are the Veteran’s Outreach program and the Service, Employment, Redevelopment-Jobs for Progress, Inc. (SER). The American GI Forum also holds events throughout the country. The organization’s motto is “Education is Our Freedom and Freedom Should be Everybody’s Business!” I believe that by understanding our history and educating our future generations we will continue to honor the vision that the American GI Forum and Dr. Hector P. Garcia. The American GI Forum has brought down the barriers and paved the road to the American

As World War II was winding down, it became evident, that the approximately 16 million soldiers returning home from war would require some type of benefits package to avoid a possible post-war depression on the home front. While this may not have been an immediate concern of the returning soldiers, congress took it upon themselves to create the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, what many refer to as the GI Bill of Rights. On the 22nd of June 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, which included 10 significant parts. The American Legion (2013) displays them as followed:

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the GI Bill specifically covers a trade school education, which is referred to as vocational and technical training programs. Below explores the details and benefits of the Post-9/11 Bill for students who want vocational training.

The issue that has been addressed throughout this study is veteran’s rights. The issue of veteran’s rights is still being pursued and is near and dear to me. Not only am I a veteran, but I come from a long line of men and women who have proudly worn the uniform in defense of our nation. Between the mindset of the American public, to the cases presented before Congress, this is an ongoing dilemma. Caring for our brothers and sisters in arms is the socially responsible thing to do. However, many roadblocks must be torn down before this can come to fruition.

he unprecedented support for the education of returning World War II veterans provided by the G.I. Bill was notably race-neutral in its statutory terms. More than 1 million black men had served in the military during World War II and these men shared in eligibility for educational benefits, which included tuition payments and a stipend for up to four years of college or other training. Yet, the effects of military service and the availability of educational benefits may have differed by race and geography as black men from the South returned to segregated systems of higher education, with relatively limited opportunities at historically black institutions.

Bill (MGIB), eligible veterans enrolled in VA approved educational programs could receive up to thirty-six months of benefits if usage began within ten years of separation from service (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1008). Monthly benefits for veterans who had three or more years of service were eligible for $300 per month, with a total individual benefit of $10,800 for thirty-six months of usage (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1011). Veterans serving a two-year enlistment contract qualified for a $272 monthly stipend for a maximum of $9,800 for thirty-six months of usage (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1011). This remained relatively steady from 1985 to 1992 despite the increased costs of college tuition (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1011). However, in January of 1999 and then again in January of 2000 Congress did increase MGIB benefits to account for rising tuition costs (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1012). These increases continued to be implemented between 2000 and 20003 (Simon et al., 2010, p. 1012). This hit its peak in 2003, when MGIB benefits were at its highest value since 1991 (Simon et al., 2010, p.

World War II had a great toll on the nation’s economy. It hurt many Americans, and a lot of them had to leave their education to serve as soldiers and sailors. The war used many of the already shorted resources, and with a lot of the men who ran farms, bakeries, and meat providers being taken into war, this led to a shortage of cash flow and resources. During WWII Roosevelt talked over the matter with President George F. Zook and other leaders of the American Council of Education. He believed the federal government had a responsibility and an important role in helping returning veterans get an education. Several Bills branched off the GI Bill including a Vocational Rehabilitation Bill. This bill provided federal funds to retrain and rehabilitate veterans who had been disabled in the civilian defense industry. In a quote from history.com, “In his speech at the signing of the bill, Roosevelt acknowledged the sacrifices of

Most soldiers did not get a chance to finish college or even high school when the war started. The government decided to step in and assist the soldiers, they passed a bill called the GI Bill which gave people who served in the armed forces a way to earn a living coming back home. According to the article in Life magazine on veterans attending college on the GI Bill, the picture shows overjoyed families going door to door getting former soldiers who are ready to earn a degree at school. This symbolizes how people cherished and utilized opportunities the bill gave them to better their lives. Sometimes the GI Bill could not offer people education, a result of mishaps causing soldiers to have physical or mental problems. The soldiers may not want the education or have not gone through enough school to get into college. According to the picture where veterans are waiting for housing under the GI Bill. the other option was to give the veterans a place to live if they could not afford

Throughout history, citizens have seen the need to care for those who have defended their freedoms. Research shows veteran’s assistance programs dates back to the early settlement of the colonies that would later become the United States of America. In the year 1636, the Pilgrims, who were at war with the Pequot Indians, passed a law that stated they would take care of the disabled veterans who had fought in that conflict.

I think the GI bill has become stronger over time. I think the original GI bill was an attempted on the United States to avoid a potential economic crisis by providing the millions of Veterans that would be returning home from war with the services they deserved. Before the original GI bill access to home ownership and higher education was mainly limited to rich people but with the passing of the GI bill many people at different social economic backgrounds now had access to obtain education and buy a home. Not only did this effected Veterans on a micro level but it also helped the economy on a macro level. As discussed in class at the peak of the original GI bill Veterans accounted for 49% of college enrollment and the funds received by

“Everyone knows the dangers of being in the military. Many military members put their lives on the line every day, which makes them some of the most underpaid people in America. But there are also other considerations, such as working with hazardous materials and in dangerous situations, being on call 24-7/365, and dealing with long term deployments and family separation”(Guina). I will write about why Military members are not getting paid enough, but not all I will be focusing on military members who are single with no dependents and are part of deployable units and I will be comparing them to their civilian counterparts who are in college.

The intended purpose of this study was to describe and understand the identity development of student veterans as they transitioned from active duty service members to students at a higher educational institution. This study was “phenomenological” in nature and focused on seven individual, veteran, full time students completing their first undergraduate degree at CU Denver. Despite the increased number of student veterans on campus, there remains a continued lack of understanding regarding this section of the student population at colleges across the United States and as I learned, here at CU Denver as well. It is important that campus administrators have a solid understanding of student veterans’ needs and experiences in order to better assist them while they are here at CU Denver. In my study I concentrated on the actual experiences of seven student veterans attending college full time. This method was chosen because of its in-depth interview nature and the focus on participants’ lived experiences and worldviews. Veterans have detailed life experiences that are often not understood by non-veterans so in explaining some of my findings we civilians could have problems relating or understanding. Because of the time limitations involved in this project, interviewing a larger number of participants was not feasible, especially considering the attention to detail required for personal, one-on-one discussions. Furthermore, since the study focused on student veteran identity

The GI Bill also provides assistance with career advancement. Entrepreneurship training helps veterans start their own businesses, flight training allows veterans to become airline pilots, and funding for license and certification testing helps servicemen and women become certified mechanics, therapists, web developers, and attorneys (“Education Benefits”, 2017).