I think Webb, Campbell et al are slightly wrong on this issue. I'm an 1980's vet, and received benefits under the GI Bill at the time. I went to school almost immediately after getting out of active duty, and with the GI Bill, state and federal grants and loans, plus working, I made it through and got my degree on time. It's really not that difficult (after doing a combat tour, going to college and taking even a part time job to supplement your GI Bill payments, grants and loans, is a cakewalk).

As it appears, even the VA says the 100% pproposal is cumbersome and unrealistic...and this isn't 1944...

This story is either false or not complete. In TX, you give your GI bill to the state and 100% of your program is paid. If you come back with a compensatable injury or illness; again, 100% is covered by the VA. Everyone wants more, more and more. When is enough is enough. I used 15k of my GI bill and got the rest of my education 100% paid through the VA. I gave my life to my country and my country has been very fair, respectful and helpful in all my request for self improvement. Thanks everyone. Your tax dollars sometimes do go to worthy causes.

I think that it is a good idea. Our veterans deserve more, and if offering them more opportunities at education can help, then let’s do it.

To all those idiots out there who accuse those of us who are against the war in Iraq of not supporting our troops (which is a faccacy) How ya like the repubs now? Is this what you call support?

How about the fact that our brave reservists and National Guard troops who have served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan get absolutely nothing in the way of educational benefits once they are discharged from the service? Is their substantial sacrifice in life and limb worth less than the "full time" active duty types who may not serve any more time in the service but stand to enjoy full ride benefits under this law?

If our young men and women can go over to a foreign country and risk their lives, the least we can do is send them to school. Hell the Universitys ought to let them go for free. They will let atheletes attend for free but not the ones who risk their lives to protect their freedom. What is wrong with this picture.

Interesting -- I served over 21 years and retired honorably in 1999. I went back to school full time for three years and received my bachelors from UVA, knowing that VA would be there to help. Guess what? Because I had a two year break in service I receive $0 from the VA -- and neither of my Senators (Jim Webb is one of them) nor my Represetative have responded to my requests for assistance. And they really expect to help new vets?? ROFLMAO!!

This has to be the epitomy of hypocrisy, buy this administration. This is just a disgrace. Where are all of you Flag Waving, Support the Troops Bushies, now. Shame on all of you.

Doesn't our country owe our veterans the best that we can offer? Full educational benefits for our soldiers is the least that we can do to repay them for their sacrifices.

I don't see a problem with it. The serve us, this is the very least we can do for them.

This story can not be true. After all G.W. respects our valiant warriors and would not do any thing to help OOps hurt them.

Guess "supporting our troops" means more than just slapping a stupid magnetic ribbon on your SUV. The top level Republicans care about money and power. The lower level Republicans are just fools believing all the B.S. the higher level Republicans tell them. All of you flag waiving hicks need to pay attention to what your Republican leaders are doing, rather than what they are saying.

Where have all of the bushies gone? This is the kind of fodder that gets them into their drooling semi-coherent postings. What's that? Oh, maybe some of the dems, libs, neos,etc. were right after all? All you had to do was open your eyes and see it. Follow your party lines all you want, but don't follow blindly. You are allowed to disagree. You are free minded, aren't you.

to JAZZ-
you're right this isn't 1944 but this also isn't the 1980's. The article even mentioned in 1985 many collegiate funds were gone. But you may have been in after 1985 that's fine but also you must note times now are tougher. With a republican pres for the past 7 years the funds available (non GI) aren't as plentiful as they were in the 80's and 90's. I was a history major in college and the 1944 GI bill is what built the life style we are so accustomed to today. Yes it's not 1944 but the principle is still the same. Pay for their schooling and soldiers will sign up. Why would a person want to risk their lives and fight in something like IRAQ and AFghanistan if they have to come back and worry about coming up with 25% of the tuition and room/boarding costs. Yes it will be expensive but there's alot more crap we can cut out of our government spending to pay for it. if it increases the size of the middle class then the effect will trickle to the rest of society and we ALL Benefit.

Why isn't the main healdining story? Doesn't anyone care about how we treat the troops who fought for us? Typical Bush, wanting everyone to sacrifice for him with nothing in return. Disgraceful.

Same old us vs. them crap. If this had been a Republican idea, the Dems would oppose it... but, since a Democrat came up with the idea... all of us Republicans are finding some excuse to support Bush on the issue.

If the VA is saying this would be not be wise and that it would take money from other programs, what programs are we talking about. Do we take money from physical therapy, VA hospitals, mental health, disability payments? Maybe we should up grant money available to the troops as well as their GI bill money. There should be something reasonable that can be done without financially straining the country's purse strings more than it already is. First, think about what we cut.....medicare, social security, food stamps. It's a great idea to give them more in the way of educational benefits but Congress, both Republican and Democrat, are not very good at funding the laws they pass. Of course, we could always insist that they not get a pay raise for the next decade so they can help fund it.

JEddy - I don't believe your comments are true. I was a Natl. Guard member and did lose my benefits when I chose to get out - but I had not been deployed. My husband, also in the Guard, returned from Iraq in 05 and received a lot of information about his veterans education benefits that will be his regardless of whether he maintains active service in the Guard. His educational (and other benefits) are through the VA now, not through the Guard Bureau which mine would have been - so there is a difference once you've been deployed.

I agree, by the way, with Jazz and disabledvet that the benefits are very good and appreciated by (most I guess) veterans. My husband, when he chooses to, will be able to get a degree and from what we can tell it will be at no cost or very little due to a combination of state and VA benefits to veterans. This story seems to be painting the wrong picture. Of all of the things that my husband and his fellow veterans have talked and griped about, educational benefits never made the list.

Anyone ever think of where the extra 3.4 billion dollars will come from to cover this entitlement?? Yes, from the increase in your taxes. I also wonder how much special interest "pork" was tacked on to this bill before it faced opposition. There is always two sides of a story and unfortunately our wonderful liberal press only presents one.

Dems have always been better for the soldiers than the Repubicans. Dems are not so quick to send them out to be killed, and they want to make sure the soldiers are taken care of.

I'm a veteran (56 years ago) used the GI Bill of that time...$3oo per month which was to cover everything...so I worked along while studying...first to have graduated from high school in my family (lower middle class) it opened my life for me...was fortunate to get a Masters degree and Doctorate...four children who all have a Masters Degree...thank god for the GI Bill...my family has given back what was given to me...it is a great investment for our country, as well as a good payback to those who have given so much, no matter what war they fought in...

As a Vietnam Era veteran, I obtained a 4-year degree from a state university with the help of the G.I. Bill. It essentially EITHER payed for my tuition and part of my books/lab fees, etc. OR for my housing and living expenses. Not both. So I think Jim Webb's idea of expecting "the government to pay every penny of veterans' educational costs, from tuition at a public university to books, housing and a monthly stipend" is a bit excessive. But I do agree that we need to do more than the current G.I. Bill as it stands.

A better education = better job, higher income, higher income tax paid. The government will get their money back. Pay for regular military and Reserves. As a collge instructor, I WELCOME these folks into my class!

I am a retired Navy veteran and have been a voting Republican all my adult life. In a word, the current administration sucks. They like to wrap themselves in the flag, give patriotic speeches, praise the military at every turn, talk the talk but fail to walk the walk. The senior level civilian turkeys at the pentagon do everything in their power to deny upgraded benefits to the retirees. Thanks a lot you idiots.

As a died in the wool Progressive, it pains me to say this, but the VA's stance is par for the course - regardless of administration.
When I joined in the late 1970's the post-G.I. Bill program, the Veteran's Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), was woefully inadequate. Very few people enrolled and in fact my recruiter was very honest (I know, recruiter+honest=oxymoron) about how bad the program was. When the Montgomery G.I. Bill was instituted, DoD and the VA allowed those who had signed up for VEAP to transition to the new G.I. Bill, and there have been several "grace periods" since then, but they NEVER allowed those who did not enroll in VEAP to enter the new G.I. Bill program. There were too many of them to accomodate.
As a result, only those of us "VEAP era non-participants" who were able to earn our college degrees while on active duty were able to get funding (through the Tuition Assistance Program). Since retiring, I've earned my J.D., once again without any G.I. Bill assistance.
It is a function of the bureauracy - limited budget funding... administrativve difficulties... yada yada yada - to resist sweeping program changes. It was a fact of life under the Clinton Administration as well as the Shrub Administration.

If it were up to me I'd also excuse all active duty military from paying income tax as well. Cops and firefighters too. I'd give a sizeable tax break to teachers too...like 50% at least.

Now that the election is coming up the libs appear to be supporting the vets. But they haven't been doing that for the last so many years. They were opposed to pay raises, health care and some other benefits for the military. So, who is the hypocrite here? I believe they are just doing this for political gain. After all, they don't care about the military.

Who supports the troops? Not their commander in chief that's for sure. Nor do his lackey's in congress. This is a no brainer. Just like the voting rights bill, it should not even warrant discussion. Their education should be convered 100%. Period, end of story.

I recently graduated from college using my GI Bill, the other vets and myself joked that we’d take a pay cut when we got a “real job” because a vet could receive the GI Bill, Pell Grants, and unemployment! Also I worked for the VA helping other Vets on campus for minimum wage, but it was tax free. Some politicians are just trying to get a sound bite.

I have 2 sons who are vets, my middle son was in the air force and when he went to the college to enroll, he had to pay for classes and books and everything out of his pocket, also working a full time job and supporting his daughter, it was like pulling teeth to get his GI money started to pay for school, he was at the point of just quitting, but after about 6 months the money started coming in, and if he takes a break in semesters, he would have to go through all of that again, I was at the point of starting to write and call politicians in Missouri, yes, he is getting a check now, but like I said, he should not have had to pay anything to that college out of his pocket, that GI money that was promised from his recruiters took atleast 6 months before he started getting his money, I was furious and he was too, and my youngest son was in Korea and was injured and now will have to go to therapy for his back, he won't be able to do what he wanted which was police or fire department jobs, and he is also trying to take clases on line, and the college money is the same cituation just like his brother. I can't believe that our men and women who have volunteered themselves to defend their family's and country, that they are having to put up with all of the hassell, its a discrase as far as I am concerned, colleges let the athletes in for nothing, and our kids that have done what they swore an oath to do, are getting pushed to the end of the line.

This is one of the better ideas coming from our congress - and of course, Mr Bush is against it. He is only for "supporting the troops" when they are dying to support his little war - once they come back, they have no more use for him and they are swept under the rug.
How he and his fellow repubs sleep at night, I cannot imagine. This also falls in line with him denying the extra .5% in the military pay COLA - according to him, its "not necessary" - hmmm, what a crock!
IMPEACH and get some new blood in our "representatives" - this country has slipped so badly from where we used to stand...sigh.....

Gee, 5.4 billion dollars, what's that? one day in Iraq? Two? The lie that "we can't afford it" has no more legs after the drunken spending of this administration.

The reason for their opposition is stated in the third paragraph of the article "Such a benefit was a major feature of the historic 1944 G.I. Bill, which put more than eight million U.S. soldiers through college and is now credited by historians as fueling the expansion of America's middle class in the post-war era." They have worked hard destroying the middle class, because a middle class id inconvienent to a feudal society; they are not going to approve anything that threatens their progress. What's next? Low cost loans for home ownership? All that work down the drain; oh the humanity!

Typical Bushie hypocrisy! Just as they are concerned for children only before they're born, they are SOOOOOOOOO concerned about the troops in Iraq but wash their hands of them as soon as they return stateside.

Sounds great to me but I hope that the VA won't screw it up like thay have the Veterans Health Care

Real Combat Soldiers deserve a 100% free ride. If you don't believe that they do, you are a REMF or a Republican, but you sure as heck never served in the combat infantry, artillery, engineers or other combat positions.

The government wastes more $$$ than this will cost. Make Halliburton find the $2 Billion in cash that it lost. Does that seem unfair to
the Republicans and REMFs who are reading this?

Finally, just because one or two of you made it through school just fine, every school and every state doesn't handle Vets and school in the same manner. If you don't need the money, don't take it. Simple. If you do need the money, we should pay.

This is not welfare; rather, it is workfare. Those Vets willing to finish their education before entering the workforce raise the bar for everyone in industry and the professions.

Subsidize the Vets, not the Oil Companies, Pharmaceutical Companies and Insurance Companies. When will you non-combat, Republican types open your eyes?

Sam
US Army Special Forces, 1967-72
RVN Vet, Combat Soldier

A positive reaction of the WWII veterans GI bill of rights that gave the returning veterans an opportunity to obtain a college education helped the nation to move forward with a positive of t he future, dicounting the war mongers and the war profiters

Take $5.4 billion per year from Halliburtons corporate welfare contracts... That alone will pay for the program...........Molacai

75% of tuition is huge now. Anybody noticed how much the cost has gone up?

The RNC. The GOP, and the Bush administration is against anything that is good for our society. The Vets have paid their dues and deserve our gratitude. The Bush misadministration is for Corporate America, no bid contractors, inflated contracts for his cronies. and subsidies and give-away tax cuts for the rich. The Bush misadministration is not for Justice, whether it be legal, economic, or human justice. No, no, no, is the mantra designed to crush the will of the people. The American peoples will cannot be crushed--30% are mad as hell and are willing to fight!

Hmmmmm! No education. No health care. Seems like a good reason to enlist in the U.S. military.

adversity: You are right on! They only care about the 'idea" not the actual person. Total hyprocricy at its finest.

It's so unfortunate that with all our pretensious intellect and technology, we cannot recognize the paradox within our social ecosystem. And if we do recognize it, because of our comfort in the status quo, we do not seek to transcend it. In other words we cannot, on the one hand, say we want the equality the constitution seeks to afford for all, and yet, live in a society where Social Dawinism is the
rule, not the exception.
In biology 101 we learned that all organisms must adapt to their ever changing environment. The Constitution of the United States represents a highly evoled ideal, for a highly enlightened body politic. But unfortunately, we are not ready to
jettison our collective selfisness.

Now isn't this just what BUSH & his CHICKEN HAWKS are all about! Nothing left to SAY!

The troops deserve more that this.
Free education is a no brainer.
How about free health care for life?
How about being exempt from taxes if
they are to live their life with injuries?

As a Vietnam-era vet from Texas, I attended college part-time and worked for a railroad full time. I exhausted my GI Bill educational benefits within the 10-year alloted time frame without graduating because of work and job transfers.

I retired in 2000 and returned to college in August, 2002, under provisions of The Hazlewood Act for residents of Texas upon entry into military service and who have exhausted their GI Bill educational benefits.

100% payment for 150 credit hours of tuition and most fees at any State-funded school is provided and I graduated in May, 2006, paying approximately $58 for each of eight semesters. I am now attending graduate school and costs are much greater and, with the Spring, 2007, semester as an example, one three-hour class with tuition and fees came the $1,358.00 and I paid $49.00.

To this date, I have 105 credit hours remaining and that will take me through a master's program and at least half-way into a doctorate program. To that end, in retirement I am a professional college student because I earned that benefit the hard way.

I have asked my Congressman and two Senators, all Republicans, to support a Federal equivalent of the Hazlewood Act because the veterans have earned the opportunity the hard way.

Much unlike the young Republicans who openly proclaim that they have better things to do with their lives than enlist for active duty service.

It sounds like some folks are a little confused. I am Cold War era veteran. I got out in '99. While I was on active duty 75% of my college was paid for. The GI BIll that was in existence when I was on active duty called for the service member to "contribute" to the fund by having $100 a month deducted from his paycheck and if he chose to go to college after leaving the service the VA would kick in another set amount, but there was no set percentage. It worked more like a 401K.
I did all of my schooling while on active duty so I can't talk about how the Montgomery Era GI Bill works in practice.
The 100% funding for college makes for a good sound bite, but something sounds phony abut it.

As an Iraqi freedom vet, mother of two, and a full time college student I would benefit so much from this bill. Books and tuition are so expensive I've had to use loans and credit cards on top of grants and the GI bill. A free education would be the nicest thank you I've every received.

The GI Bill is arguably the most important piece of economic legislation ever passed. The benefits to society are literally incalculable. The modern expectation that an educated person is a college graduate came directly from this one law. The modern idea of personal home ownership as a legitimate goal for an American family came directly from this law. To say that the GI Bill cost a certain amount of money is patently silly, it made America what it is today. It didn't cost us, it made us great.

What is it going to take before this nation WAKES UP and puts the FIRE to the keys of Congress to IMPEACH bush and cheney? This last 7 years has been the worst, most humiliating years (nationally speaking) in my life... and I am an old geezer too.

Stupid war, stoopid President and no edumacation?

We could have been doing so much better without "Presnut Imbecilio."

The Hague has a cell big enought for Bush's ego. Cheney's?

I wonder if you red states dummies will ever wake up? You keep voting yourselves into the poor house with the Repubs, and you wonder why you are broke.

How about you pay for your own college like I had to? How about a govt that told me I could not receive any grants/help because the 28K a year I was making roofing was too much. They would gladly give me a loan with a higher interest rate than I can get on a credit card though. Gee Thanks!!! I don't know about you but paying rent, paying for a car, and living on your own isn't easy on 28K but once again the common citizen gets the screw while we cater to those who made a conscious choice to join the military. I just don't get it............. If you want to join the military and fight the private little war then have at it but please quit pretending the rest of us owe you something over a choice you made. When we draft again then I'd say fine but until then they should live with their choices like the rest of us do.

I went back to college at a ripe
old age of 28; studied hard and
got my BBA at age 32. I also had
a family to support. For family
reasons, my wife had to stay home.

I supported them and met every
educational expense by use of the
GI Bill, a VA guaranteed loan and
a partime job. Yet, there times I
came within an eyelash of quiting.

The Administration talks the talk
now this is one chance for it to
walk the walk. Thus far, it just
talks the talk. We owe all of
the regular military and guardsmen
more than we can ever repay. This
is one way to actually demonstrate
our appreciation.

The Bush Administration, comprised mainly of non-veterans and even draft-dodgers, has long exhibited its disdain for veterans, whether it relates to appropriate health care or other benefits one who serves his/her country should be entitled to. The concerns expressed by former President Eisenhower echo loud and clear that America, in the future, will not be well served by an administration, void of veterans, that wages war. This administration with glee lines the pockets of its cronies, such as Haliburton who in effect do nothing to justify its feeding off taxpayer dollars, but basically turns its back on the needs of the American people.

Do the math on this - if 2b covers 75% why would it add 5.4b to cover the last 25%? Even using the flawed VA fear factor - 7.4 Billion annual.

For 7.4 billion$$ ANNUAL we can put 450,000 kids through college.

For 7.4 billion$$ we can keep 150 / 200K soldiers in Iraq / Afghanistan for about 2.5 WEEKs. This translates to a ballpark figure of 154 billion ANNUAL.

Of course the powers that be do not profit nearly as much from education as they do from war and fear.

That same 154 billion could fund the GI bill for apx. 21 YEARS (sans inflation) has been spent to fight a war over a series of LIES. Follow the money trail - see for yourself who profits. We as Americans have been duped. Be proud to be American - be Smart. Do not fall for the scam - our Children's future is at stake.

Another proof that Bush doesn't work for America but against it.
This thug is really a disgrace for America.

I wonder how Mitt Romney feels about this considering he too never served. Neither did any of his 5 boys. And they are supposed to love the veteran better than the Democrats?

If we taxpayers have to support a full ride for veteran's education, how will the upper 1% (the millionaires and billionaires) manage with the reduction to their free ride? It will make them angry and throw hissy fits!

As someone who benefitted from college veteran's aid, I think it is especially helpful to those in today's military, because today's military is entirely volunteer, and that means comprised mostly of people who needed a job.......so badly that even war was acceptable!

You will never bring people out of poverty, as long as the wealthy control the country, because they do not choose to share the wealth......not even for education.

If this country spent more money on its poor, instead of the rest of the world's poor, we might return to the once prominent position, we no longer enjoy, among the countries of the world.

We can snde billions of dollars to foreign countries, to mostly line politician's pockets, but we don't want to help our young people get an education?

Let's get real.

"Anyone ever think of where the extra 3.4 billion dollars will come from to cover this entitlement??"

How about a War Profiteering tax and tax the blood money earned by Halliburton, Blackwater, et. al. to pay for veteran benefits? Say at 90% the way the government did after WWI to pay for that War To End All Wars. I think that would be an excellent idea.

To the disabled vet from TX - I believe you're referring to a state program - something that is available only in TX and IL (where I am). I believe WI has recently offered the same to their own veterans who have WI as their home of record.

We're fortunate our states care as much as they do about their own - most states don't offer 100% tuition (to a state run university, etc.).

I had the original GI Bill - the IL benefits are separate from that (4 MORE years of aid).

ANY assistance to veterans regarding education is a good idea. Bush and the GOP prove just how little they truly "support the troops" by rejecting out of hand Webb's idea. Disgusting.

while it is true that some states go above and beyond what the GI Bill offers (TX and VA) not all states do, in fact most don't.

I served from 92 to 96 and if my company hadn't paid for some of my school I still would have come up about $10k short over the course of 4 years.

This is a no brainer and for the peanuts these guys get paid providing them an education in this competitive global market should be mandatory. but alas it won't happen.

Let's see under the Republicans for the past twelve years, we have seen the returning injured vets laying in urine, dirty moldy rooms (at Walter Reed), and of course it was simply "outrageous" when the media toured the place and called them on it, they all ran around like they were new people on the block and didn't know anything about anything.
So, it doesn't surprise me when it comes to the Repubs and Vets, our military is simply "tools" they need to invade countries and kill people, and if they get killed oh well, we will offer the next guy more money to enlist.
The Republicans are oh so patriotic wrapping themselves in the flag with their cute little support our troops sticker on their cars and by God anyone saying anything negative about Iraq will be branded a traitor. But to have their own kids serve, well you all heard Mitt, they are showing their patriotism by getting him elected! How truly pathetic these people are!

Support the troops! Support the troops! That is, so long as their lives are on the line. After that, good luck.

Oh noes! We can't have monies going to fund services for Americans that would make us communists.

People whose net worth is in the millions just don't understand that a bill for $500 bucks for books is enough to make some quit school.

As for the "cost" of full education for vets (and anyone else, for that matter), the increase in tax revenue on the students' higher future earnings based on their increased skills and eduation more than offset any present layouts. Of course, you run the risk that the more educated people are, the more moderate and, dare I say, liberal their politics get. Now, we can't have that, can we?!?!?

I'm a poster child for what the 'old' GI bill was about. After dropping out of college in 1967 because I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I ended up doing a tour of duty in the Army. Once I got out I didn't really have much in the way of marketable skills and just kind of bounced from trivial job to job until 1976 when I knew what I wanted to do. Without the GI bill to help I could never have afforded to go back to school at the age of 27. But I did and now have been working for a major aerospace company (starts with B) for 29 yeas as an Electronics and Computing System specialist. It's a crime that todays veterans don't have the resources and support that I did 30 years ago to give them and their families what the GI bill gave me and mine.

so what if it does come in the form of taxes. I would rather fork over the extra money for people who lay down their lives for me, then someone in the administration working closely with a company that just decided to move over sea's to avoid prosecution of war profiteering. Anyone on the right, in a red state, or a republican that would not agree with giving our troops a free ride, should be stoned. so much for life or liberty. It's sad anyone would deny military troops a 100% free education.

Billions are wasted in IRAQ. Millions of dollars unaccounted for at the Pentagon. Hundreds and thousands of weapons missing. I would rather be content with someone saying we wasted our money on troops and their education then, to just say good by to your tax dollars. Wake up, and pull your head out. Sad, and disgusting. Ignorant! Read, from both sides of the spectrum. Read! Listen Learn and then ask.

May I remind everyone that the current "Montgomery" GI Bill is not free to the soldier. To be even eligible for education benefits, the soldier must elect to contribute $1200 while still in service.

Montgomery orginally developed the bill for peacetime service personnel. The fact that it still cost s $1200 bespeaks an Administration in denial.
It does not surprise me at all that the Administration opposes the bill. After all, look at the military service records of both Bush and Cheney!

I might also add that the current GI Bill is in need of simplication. It is a welter of differing eligibility requirements and benefit levels.

It's okay to send someone out in an under-armored vehicle in a war of choice but it's not okay to send that same person to college for four years? And they wonder why recruitment stinks? I think a full-ride scholarship is in order along with books and fees. It is only fair.

Just because some of you had your tuition paid doesnt mean everyone else gets the same benefits. Maybe you should look and see what is offered to the Vets before you comment that you had everything paid for. I am a certifying official for VA benefits at a University and they DO NOT PAY 100%. If you think they do you need to pull your head out. And if you think that most will get grants and scholarships you really ar that stupid and should sue your school for a refund since it didnt do any good. They deserve better then what they are getting which isnt very much

just wondering here, but what about the dependents of those that are yet to become ill due to depleted uranium weapons and such. Seems to me like the dependents all deserve the same. Scholarships??? Let's try HEALTHCARE .

We taxpayers are paying $11 million in Iraq every hour-$12+billion a month and yet Bush and the Republicans in Congress are nickel and diming us to death. They want to cut a given program(usually one that deals with infrastructure-bridges, levees or social safety nets) because that will save $5 billion over 10 years(but will really end up costing us much, much more). WHAT???? $12 billion each and every month spent on Iraq. And then the Republicans and Bush talk about fiscal responsibility. They really must think that the American taxpayer is THAT stupid to fall for that ever again.

FULL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS
"Such a benefit was a major feature of the historic 1944 G.I. Bill, which put more than eight million U.S. soldiers through college and is now credited by historians as fueling the expansion of America's middle class in the post-war era."

The Republican's do not want to expand an educated Middle class; the middle class is the the backbone of a democracy. those 8 million GI's after graduating paid back the cost of their education in taxes within a couple of years; I was one of those 8 million who on graduating I went from a minimum wage job as janitor to a $38,000 annually as a public school teacher. Many of our Democratic Congressmen got their degrees through the GI Bill of rights in 1944. It is not a question of money, it's a question of reducing the middle class. Each year since 2000, the middle class in America is reduced by one million. Free education to the college level is a Win/Win situation; It's good for the students, it's good for extending the higher tax base and it's good for revitalizing the economy. And a bulwark against tyranny. "A democracy cannot survive without an educated Citizenry," Socrates.

I just got out three years ago. I have to tell you with the current cost of tuition the GI Bill is not enough. Getting the Gi bill was a struggle to begin with. It took them 3 months to send the first check and most of my tuition came out of my pocket. I am going to be frank with you as brave as these young women and men are, they deserve every benefit we can give. Please , they are willing to give up their lives for us, why can’t we do something small and return our gratitude by giving a free education to them.

you dont see the main point here, people. There would be no need in this program if this regime didnt see the need in this illeilleagal war. I just wish Americans would get their heads out..

Total BS. They are quibbling over an extra 5 billion a year when the war will cost upwards of a trillion ?

The GI Bill is stingy for what you give up in the service. Some states, like Texas and Illinois provide 100% free tuition for vets, but the majority do not.

I maxed out earning approx 30k per year. Civilians that endured my hardships were making 6 figures.

This is only fair.