Comments on: Serving Those Who Serve: Higher Education and America’s Veterans http://wallyboston.com/2008/06/11/serving-those-who-serve-higher-education-and-america%e2%80%99s-veterans/ Communicating about higher education issues. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:29:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Wally Boston http://wallyboston.com/2008/06/11/serving-those-who-serve-higher-education-and-america%e2%80%99s-veterans/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Wally Boston Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:09:42 +0000 http://wallyboston.com/?p=44#comment-11 Ed: As I understand it, veterans will be able to elect to stay with the current plan which will be enhanced from $1100 per month to $1300 per month or you can select the new plan. I don't know enough about the thinking behind the need to keep the old plan and start a new one other than the new one covers anyone who served after 9/11/2001 and may not require you to elect to have the GI Bill payroll withholding. The fact that the plan was attached to the war spending request was a strategy deployed to override a veto since the President is unlikely to veto the war funding request. The intention of the sponsors and the drafters of this legislation is excellent. I like your idea of increasing the monthly amount and still believe that if the room and board benefit can be applied to a student who commutes, than there's no reason to exclude distance education institutions, some of whom provide program and course offerings that a "local" and traditional institution may not provide. Wally Ed:
As I understand it, veterans will be able to elect to stay with the current plan which will be enhanced from $1100 per month to $1300 per month or you can select the new plan. I don’t know enough about the thinking behind the need to keep the old plan and start a new one other than the new one covers anyone who served after 9/11/2001 and may not require you to elect to have the GI Bill payroll withholding. The fact that the plan was attached to the war spending request was a strategy deployed to override a veto since the President is unlikely to veto the war funding request. The intention of the sponsors and the drafters of this legislation is excellent. I like your idea of increasing the monthly amount and still believe that if the room and board benefit can be applied to a student who commutes, than there’s no reason to exclude distance education institutions, some of whom provide program and course offerings that a “local” and traditional institution may not provide.

Wally

]]> By: Ed Lawson http://wallyboston.com/2008/06/11/serving-those-who-serve-higher-education-and-america%e2%80%99s-veterans/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Ed Lawson Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:04:10 +0000 http://wallyboston.com/?p=44#comment-9 Wally, As a USMC veteran, I have been following the developments regarding this proposed legislation. However, I admit that my knowledge of the details is limited. My understanding is that the "enhanced" GI bill will be a new program, started from scratch. It will require a new set of bureaucratic policies and red-taped hurdles. Why do you suppose the lawmakers would want to re-invent the wheel? I currently attend AMU on a full-time basis, using my GI bill benfits to pay my tuition. The current system works quite well- in my opinion. I realize that the price of a modern day college education has out-paced the level of provided benefits. Why not simply increase the current payment of ~$1100/mo to a higher rate? $2000 a month for 36 months should cover the cost of most state institutions? Increasing the current rate, using the exsisting system, would also satisfy your (and mine) concerns regarding distance education? It seems silly for the VA to cater to the billing policies and tutition rates of thousands of different state and private colleges. $72,000 over 36 months seems adequete to me. If a vet wants to go to Harvard and pay $150K- thats fine. They can borrow the difference. If a vet wants to go to city college and pocket the difference- thats fine too. I don't see a downside to a flat-rate GI Bill. Any thoughts? Wally,
As a USMC veteran, I have been following the developments regarding this proposed legislation. However, I admit that my knowledge of the details is limited. My understanding is that the “enhanced” GI bill will be a new program, started from scratch. It will require a new set of bureaucratic policies and red-taped hurdles.
Why do you suppose the lawmakers would want to re-invent the wheel?
I currently attend AMU on a full-time basis, using my GI bill benfits to pay my tuition. The current system works quite well- in my opinion. I realize that the price of a modern day college education has out-paced the level of provided benefits.
Why not simply increase the current payment of ~$1100/mo to a higher rate? $2000 a month for 36 months should cover the cost of most state institutions? Increasing the current rate, using the exsisting system, would also satisfy your (and mine) concerns regarding distance education?
It seems silly for the VA to cater to the billing policies and tutition rates of thousands of different state and private colleges. $72,000 over 36 months seems adequete to me. If a vet wants to go to Harvard and pay $150K- thats fine. They can borrow the difference. If a vet wants to go to city college and pocket the difference- thats fine too.
I don’t see a downside to a flat-rate GI Bill.
Any thoughts?

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