Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: A Catalyst to Change Service Voluntary Education Programs

摘要

This research paper examines the merit of educational benefits provided to military servicemembers through DoD Tuition Assistance and through the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill from a whole-of-government perspective. Prior to the signing of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill into law, education benefits provided through the Veterans Administration (VA) and DoD were separate and distinct in that these education benefits were not available to the entire force, but rather to targeted groups. G.I. Bill benefits were available to enlisted members plus certain categories of officers after meeting minimum qualification standards. Tuition Assistance is available to the entire active duty force. The resulting change to Title 38 of U.S. Code from the passage of the Post- 9/11 G.I. Bill now entitles all servicemembers to educational benefits through the VA, once minimum qualifications are met. Therefore, the key question guiding this paper is whether the implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has created a redundant funding mechanism for servicemembers despite the current and foreseeable fiscally constrained environment. Additionally, this paper examines the alignment of educational benefits to the current National Security Strategy. This topic is explored through a historical survey of applicable programs followed by a discussion of program execution in order to establish a basis for possible avenues for program improvement or changes to law.