With the return of so many veterans from the wars Iraq and Afghanistan, what is The American Legion doing to protect the GI Bill education benefits?

Question:

 

With the return of so many veterans from the wars Iraq and Afghanistan, what is The American Legion doing to protect the GI Bill education benefits?

Answer:

With overseas combat operations winding down and budgetary pressures increasing, The American Legion is concerned that the Post-9/11 GI Bill will fall in the crosshairs of those in Congress who are looking to save money. The American Legion believes that one of the best ways to avoid this is to ensure that the GI Bill continues to prove itself a valuable investment in our nation’s servicemembers and veterans. 

One of the ways we are doing this is to ensure that funds provided by the GI Bill go to educational and training programs that are good investments, both for the veteran as well as the taxpayer.  In order to do this, The American Legion works with and supports State Approving Agencies (SAAs), which are responsible for approving and supervising programs of education for the training of veterans, eligible dependents, and eligible members of the National Guard and reserves.

SAAs grew out of the original GI Bill of Rights that became law in 1944. Although SAAs have their foundation in Federal law, they operate as part of state governments. SAAs approve programs leading to vocational, educational or professional objectives. These include vocational certificates, high school diplomas, GEDs, degrees, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training and programs leading to required certification to practice in a profession. 

In November 2014, The American Legion testified before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in support of a legislative proposal that would clarify and codify the role of SAAs in approving programs for the purpose of GI Bill use, strengthening their ability to protect GI Bill funds. 

Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, newly appointed chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, introduced the  GI Bill Education Quality Enhancement Act of 2015 (H.R. 476), which consists of that legislative proposal supported by The American Legion in testimony.

Ultimately, we believe that the proposal will strengthen the SAAs, which in turn will strengthen the GI Bill and help to protect it from cuts or elimination. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important benefit that helps to keep our military strong by recruiting motivated individuals, and helps to keep our nation strong by assisting servicemembers as they transition into successful, productive civilians.