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Beginning of World War II
World War II began with Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invading Poland. Photo: (Hoffmann, 1939) -
The United States enters World War II
The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which forced the United States of America to declare war on Japan and join World War II. Photo:
[Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]. (1941). National Archives. Washington D. C. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II -
First Draft of the G.I. Bill
Harry Colmery drafted the first iteration of The Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the G.I. Bill. One component of the bill provided monetary assistance to World War II veterans pursuing higher education. The G.I. Bill paid tuition, most fees, and provided stipends for books and living expenses. The bill's goal was to assist veterans in readjusting to civilian life and to provide opportunities after service (Greenberg, 2004; "Veterans Affairs", n.d.). -
The Senate Approval of the G.I. Bill
The Senate approved the G.I. Bill on June 12, 1944 ("Veteran Affairs", n.d.). -
The House Approval of the G.I. Bill
The House of Representatives approved the G.I. Bill on June 13, 1944 ("Veteran Affairs", n.d.). -
The G.I. Bill Becomes Law
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, known as the G.I. Bill, into law ("Veteran Affairs", n.d.). The President hoped the law would encourage a prosperous economy after the Great Depression and World Wars (Greenberg, 2004). Photo:
(Goldensky, 1933) -
First Student Uses G.I. Bill Tuition Benefits
Don A. Balfour was the first student to use tuition assistance benefits from the G.I. Bill at George Washington University (MacGammon, 1944). -
End of World War II
World War II ended with the United States of America deploying atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The War ended in Europe the previous May with the suicide of Hitler. Photo:
(U.S. Air Force, 1945) -
The G.I. Bill's Success in Higher Education
At the peak in 1947, 49% of students applying for college or trade school admission were World War II veterans ("Veteran Affairs", n.d.). This brought social class and age diversity to higher education but concerned some academics as they believed the rigor of degrees would be in jeopardy. Eventually, the wave of enrollment led to an education boom in the United States where approximately one in five people held a degree (Greenberg, 2004). -
Beginning of the Korean War
The Korean War began in June 1950 between North and South Korea. The United States of America came to the aid of the South Koreans.
Photo: (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2004) -
Korean G.I. Bill Begins
The Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952, commonly known as the Korean G.I. Bill, went into effect to assist military members returning from the Korean War. Instead of receiving a living allowance and tuition assistance, the new iteration of the bill was not as generous, and veterans received one smaller lump sum to cover both expenses (Smole & Loane, 2008). -
End of the Korean War
The Korean War ended in July 1953. -
Beginning of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began between North (Viet Cong) and South Vietnam with the United States of America supporting the South.
Photo: (Okamoto, 1966) -
The Original G.I. Bill Ends
When the G.I. Bill was signed into law in 1944, it was meant as a temporary adjustment for World War II veterans only. The bill's formal benefits, including tuition assistance, ended July 25, 1956. At this time, 7.8 million of the 16 million World War II veterans used the benefits ("Veteran Affairs", n.d.). Greenberg (2004) noted more veterans sought business and engineering degrees as they were seen as practical while the liberal arts declined. -
Korean G.I. Bill Ends
The education benefits of the Korean G.I. Bill ended (Smole & Loane, 2008). -
Post-Korean and Vietnam-Era G.I. Bill Begins
Once again, Congress enacted a G.I. Bill to support veterans from the Korean War, and as the war raged on in Vietnam, those veterans also became included. The Veterans' Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 was born. As with the Korean G.I. Bill, the financial assistance paid in one sum and was not as generous (Smole & Loane, 2008). The education level of new recruits dropped with over half reading at or below a fifth-grade level and many did not pursue higher education (Montgomery, 1994). -
End of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War ended with the United States of America admitting defeat and withdrawing from South Vietnam. -
First Draft of the Montgomery G.I. Bill
Gillespie "Sonny" Montgomery, a Congressman from Mississippi, created a new iteration of the G.I. Bill for all veterans in the United States instead of specifying by war or dates served ("Veterans Affairs", n.d.). Montgomery hoped to use the G.I. Bill as a recruiting tool to raise the education level of servicemen and attract more high school graduates in all branches of the armed forces (Montgomery, 1994). Photo:
(Neilsen, 1982) -
Montgomery G.I. Bill Goes Into Effect
The Montgomery G.I. Bill was modeled after the original G.I. Bill and allowed active duty military entering the service after June 30, 1985 to elect to reduce their monthly pay by $100 for 12 months to pay into higher education benefits. At the conclusion of honorable military service, veterans received free tuition, fee assistance, and a living stipend for 36 months. This bill was in place until 2008 ("MBGI", n.d.). -
The Montgomery G.I. Bill Proves Effective
After the Montgomery G.I. Bill was implemented, the number of high school graduates enlisting in the military doubled, the reading level of new recruits increased dramatically, and over 95% of new servicemen and women signed up for the tuition benefit upon enlisting. The Montgomery G.I. Bill impacted higher education again by sending an influx of veterans to post-secondary institutions (Montgomery, 1994). -
September 11th Terrorist Attacks
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hi-jacked four airplanes in the United States of America and committed attacks killing over 3,000 people. The attacks sparked the Afghanistan War. Photo:
(Platt, 2001) -
Introduction of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill
James "Jim" Webb, a Senator from Virginia, introduced the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on his first day in office to increase higher education benefits for active-duty military members serving on or after September 11, 2001 (S. 22, 2007). Photo:
[Jim Webb]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000803 -
Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008 Becomes Law
The Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008, or Title V of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008, granted 36 months of free tuition, a generous monthly living allowance, and a book stipend to military members who served on or after September 11, 2001 without a buy-in from their salary. The act also allowed the G.I. Bill benefits to be passed to dependents if the military member elected not to use them. The benefits had to be used within 15 years (Veterans Assistance Act, 2008). -
The Impact of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on Higher Education
As with previous iterations, the G.I. Bill allowed veterans into higher education and diversified the age, race, and social class at institutions. These non-traditional students, who were more likely to be first generation, attended post-secondary institutions at a higher rate than Montgomery G.I. Bill recipients. For the first time, children and spouses were also using benefits, which increased the overall population attending institutions (Barr, 2015). -
Changes for Post-Secondary Institutions
The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill brought a new wave of students to institutions who possessed different needs from the traditional student. Aside from the non-traditional status, veterans needed additional counseling services, disability accommodations, and financial aid staff members to process paperwork and be well-versed in the G.I. Bill policies. Institutions had to quickly adapt and support these students (Heineman, 2015). -
The Forever G.I. Bill
The Harry W. Colmery Educational Assistance Act of 2017, commonly known as the Forever G.I. Bill, was passed to increase Post-9/11 benefits to additional populations and remove time restrictions from when benefits must be used. The bill also will add special incentives for veterans electing STEM fields or training programs. All stages of the bill have not received full implementation ("Forever GI Bill", n.d.). -
The Forever G.I. Bill is Implemented
The first phase of the Forever G.I. Bill went into effect August 1, 2018 giving tuition benefits to families and dependents whose military member died while in service, members of Guard and Reserves, and all recipients of Purple Hearts if they did not already qualify. The 15 year limit to use G.I. Bill benefits was also eliminated ("Forever GI Bill", n.d.). -
STEM Expansion in the Forever G.I. Bill
Effective August 1, 2019, veterans may apply for an additional nine months of full benefits if they pursue a degree or training program in the STEM fields ("Forever GI Bill", n.d.). This may discourage students from pursuing the liberal arts as the original G.I. Bill did in the 1940's and 1950's. -
Implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Program to Active Military
Effective August 1, 2022, the Yellow Ribbon Program will expand. The initiative requests colleges and universities to agree to pledge additional financial aid to veteran students to cover any fees that are not covered by the Forever G.I. Bill benefits. The VA will then match the amount the institution awards the student above what they receive as part of the G.I. Bill assistance. This benefit will be extended to active duty members ("Yellow Ribbon", n.d.). -
The Future of the G.I. Bill
I believe the G.I. Bill will continue to be supported by government resources as the unrest in the Middle East, Korean Peninsula, and eastern Europe continues. Generous benefits to veterans have shown to be effective at raising recruitment rates and education levels of military members. Statistics also show veterans are taking advantage of the benefits. With the expansion of benefits to dependents, the government has also begun to acknowledge the contributions of families not serving directly. -
The Future of the G.I. Bill
I also believe additional benefits will be tied to tangible jobs in the future. With the development of additional funding for STEM fields, I can envision supplemental funding or programs that may lead veterans to positions in technical fields. The goal of the G.I. Bill has always been to re-acclimate veterans to civilian life and give them opportunities after serving, and I foresee a more direct path to careers being forged. -
References
Barr, A. (2015). From the battlefield to the schoolyard: The short-term impact of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Journal of Human Resources, 50(3), 580-613. doi:10.3368/jhr.50.3.580 Encyclopedia Britannica. (2004). Korean War, February 1951-July 1953 [Map]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/media/full/topic/322419/70876 -
References
Forever GI Bill. (n.d.). U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – education and training, Forever GI Bill – Harry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/FGIBSummaries.asp Goldensky, E. (1933). FDR in 1933 [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/franklin-d-roosevelt-9463381 -
References
Greenberg, M. (2004, June 18). How the GI Bill changed higher education. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(41), B9-B11. Retrieved from https://www-chronicle-com.libweb.lib.utsa.edu/article/How-the-GI-Bill-Changed-Higher/12760 Heineman, J. A. (2015). Supporting veterans: Creating a “military friendly” community college campus. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(3), 219-227. doi: 10.1080/10668926.2015.1112318 -
References
Hoffmann, H. (1939). Adolf Hitler reviewing troops on the Eastern Front, 1939 [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II MacGammon, J. M. (1944, July 6). [Letter to George Washington University]. Gelman Library, George Washington University, Washington, D. C. -
References
Montgomery G.I. Bill. (n.d.) Montgomery G.I. Bill - Active Duty. Retrieved from https://www.vets.gov/education/gi-bill/montgomery-active-duty/ Montgomery, G. V. (1994). The Montgomery GI Bill: Development, implementation, and impact. The Educational Record, 75(4), 49. Nielsen, T. (1982). Gillespie V. (Sonny) Montgomery [Painting]. Retrieved from http://history.house.gov/Collection/Detail/29139?ret=True -
References
Okamoto, Y. (1966). Johnson, Lyndon B. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/images-videos/media/628478/204351 [Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]. (1941). National Archives. Washington D. C. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II Platt, S. (2001). September 11 attacks [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks/images-videos -
References
Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2007, S. 22, 110 Cong. (2007). Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-252, § 5, 122 Stat. 2357 Smole, D. P., & Loane, S. S. (2008, July 25). CRS report for Congress: A brief history of veterans’ education benefits and their value (Report No. RL34549). Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34549.pdf -
References
U.S. Air Force. (1945) Atomic bombing of Hiroshima [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. (n.d.). Education and training: History and timeline. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/history.asp Yellow Ribbon Program. (n.d.). Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/pamphlets/Yellow_Ribbon_Pamphlet.pdf
