Spring Break
New GI Bill makes life easier for student vets
Hillary Brady
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: News
10/30/08 - Among the massive group of students in Edwards Auditorium or a Chemistry lecture could be a University of Rhode Island student veteran, fresh from deployment in the U.S. military.
With 191 student veterans on campus, it is very likely that "Joe who sits next to you in class could have been in Iraq for a year," Ariana McNeil, a URI senior and current member of the National Guard, said.
With the passing of the new GI Bill in June, this number is likely to increase, as the bill expands the existing educational benefits for veterans, making it easier for potential students to pursue their education.
The original GI Bill, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, provided funding for military veterans to resume higher education. While this was of great help to many student veterans, it only provided individuals with enough federal funding to cover tuition costs.
This leaves students, such as Alex Page, a sophomore and member of the Navy Reserves, with the problem of paying for housing, meals, textbooks and other additional costs.
Page has had to combine out-of-pocket money, scholarships and student loans in order to afford his supplementary costs as a student.
Additionally, since the former GI Bill pays on a monthly basis, Page has had to endure a complicated budget, requiring him to pay his semester tuition monthly, rather than upfront. While his GI benefits begin in October, his semester tuition must be paid starting three to four months in advance. This leaves Page with the responsibility of paying for these months himself.
The newly signed GI Bill will help future student veterans avoid the pitfalls that Page has fallen into.
"It does increase the amount of money so it's more comparable to what you pay for credit at a university," said Christine Dolan, co-chair of the URI Supports Veterans Committee.
The new bill will not only help give "veterans the money they really need to continue their education," but has the available option of being passed along to one's dependents instead.
With 191 student veterans on campus, it is very likely that "Joe who sits next to you in class could have been in Iraq for a year," Ariana McNeil, a URI senior and current member of the National Guard, said.
With the passing of the new GI Bill in June, this number is likely to increase, as the bill expands the existing educational benefits for veterans, making it easier for potential students to pursue their education.
The original GI Bill, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, provided funding for military veterans to resume higher education. While this was of great help to many student veterans, it only provided individuals with enough federal funding to cover tuition costs.
This leaves students, such as Alex Page, a sophomore and member of the Navy Reserves, with the problem of paying for housing, meals, textbooks and other additional costs.
Page has had to combine out-of-pocket money, scholarships and student loans in order to afford his supplementary costs as a student.
Additionally, since the former GI Bill pays on a monthly basis, Page has had to endure a complicated budget, requiring him to pay his semester tuition monthly, rather than upfront. While his GI benefits begin in October, his semester tuition must be paid starting three to four months in advance. This leaves Page with the responsibility of paying for these months himself.
The newly signed GI Bill will help future student veterans avoid the pitfalls that Page has fallen into.
"It does increase the amount of money so it's more comparable to what you pay for credit at a university," said Christine Dolan, co-chair of the URI Supports Veterans Committee.
The new bill will not only help give "veterans the money they really need to continue their education," but has the available option of being passed along to one's dependents instead.
