What is the GI Bill?
The GI Bill was a groundbreaking piece of legislation passed in the United States shortly after the Second World War. Many historians credit the GI Bill with averting an economic and social crisis, by helping veterans integrate back into American society, rather than simply discharging them with minimal assistance, as happened in the First World War. The GI Bill laid the groundwork for later bills designed to secure benefits and assistance for veterans. Current benefits are distributed under the Montgomery GI Bill, which operates very differently than the original GI Bill but offers many of the same benefits. The official name for the GI Bill is the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, although many people colloquially called it the “GI Bill of Rights.” The bill was passed because many members of the government recalled the events of the First World War, and they did not want a repeat. World War One veterans were discharged with a train ticket and a small sum of money, and many of th
Also referred to as the Montgomery GI Bill, it is a benefit provided by the military that provides military education benefits to veterans and active duty personnel. There are two different types of GI BILLS: GI Bill for Active Duty and GI Bill for Selected Reserve. • Active Duty GI BILL: With the active duty GI Bill you can receive up to three years of education training. This includes training at vocational and technical schools as well as colleges and universities. It is even good for select independent study programs. The general timeline is that you have ten years from your date of discharge to use your benefits. It can be more or less depending on individual circumstances. • GI Bill for Selected Reserve: This is similar to the benefits of the active duty GI bill, however the benefits are extended to members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as the Army and Air National Guard. There are a few differences however for the selected reserve. If you were s
