Without a lot of fanfare this past Saturday, a revised version of our nation's GI bill became effective.
Known as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the legislation provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. Veterans must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible.
The benefits include graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All programs must meet benefit requirements and be offered by colleges or universities. Also among those covered are National Guard and reserve component vets who spent at least three months or more activated for war service.
The majority of Americans today weren't around in the latter years of World War II when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the original GI bill, known officially as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
Moreover, it is not widely known that the legislation enacted 65 years ago was contentious and barely made it through Congress. Some lawmakers objected to paying veterans $20 a week, arguing that such compensation would dilute incentive to look for work. Others criticized the concept of providing combat veterans and others who were in uniform the opportunity for higher education. Going to college in those days was considered a privilege for the affluent.
Indeed, there are countless millions of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of veterans who, because of that law, raised themselves up to better lives through the educations received.
The GI bill has proved to be among the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the federal government. Its passage affected our country socially, economically and politically.
And, thanks to the GI bill, millions who would have otherwise inundated the job market decided to go on to college. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original GI bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II veterans had participated in education or other training programs.
These men and women became doctors, lawyers, scientists, technicians, educators, business leaders, journalists and entered other professions and vocations.
Millions also took advantage of the GI bill's home loan guarantee. From 1944 to 1952, the Veterans Administration backed nearly 2.4 million home loans for World War II veterans.
A strong case could be made that the GI bill was a major force in creating what we know today as the middle class. It was a long-term investment that paid huge dividends right up to this day.
We believe, when the current recession ends, the extended GI legislation -- reported to be a $78 billion package -- will become a boon to a beleaguered middle class and produce sizable returns.
The GI bill was extended to cover veterans of the Vietnam War and others up to the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Updating this legislation to include those who served and continue to serve and put their lives on the line in Iraq, Afghanistan and other faraway places was the right action to take.