Veterans groups rally for better GI Bill

[unhappycamper]

Veterans groups rally for better GI Bill
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 13, 2008 15:17:13 EST

Advocates for a new GI Bill believe a swarm of veterans visiting congressional offices in the past two weeks — including representatives from a new organization of student-veterans — may be helping to turn the tide toward passing a modern education benefits program that provides full tuition plus a stipend.

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a Vietnam veteran and member of the Senate’s armed services and veterans’ affairs committees, said Wednesday he is revising — again — what he calls the 21st Century GI Bill.

His plan would pay for full tuition at a four-year public college or university and also provide a small monthly stipend for living expenses, similar to the World War II-era GI Bill

Webb said his legislation, which has 33 cosponsors, must overcome opposition from the Defense Department, as well as concerns about how the plan’s annual cost — an estimated $2.5 billion — will be covered. It also must overcome the view that it is a strictly Democratic initiative, despite being cosponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, also a Vietnam combat veteran.

Webb said the window of opportunity to pass the bill may be closing, because support for better education benefits for veterans could diminish when operations in Afghanistan and Iraq wind down, or when a new president with a different agenda is sworn in next year.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_gibill_support_080213w/