75 years of the GI Bill Celebrating one of the most significant and successful pieces of federal legislation ever produced for America and its veterans By M. Todd Hunter Army veteran Dan Ciccora worked for the VA for 22 years and credits the GI Bill with allowing him to continue serving his country after returning to civilian life. A fter graduating from high school in 1992, Angie Lienert worked a few entry-level jobs before realizing her career potential was limited in her hometown of Frankfort, Ky. Her family didn’t have the means to pay for college, but they also made too much for her to qualify for financial aid and wouldn’t co-sign for the loans. “I’m sure there were scholarships around but none that I qualified for as an average student, and I didn’t have the resources, support or wherewithal to find more options,” Lienert recalled. It was during a gas station work break that Lienert had an epiphany to join the military in order to give herself an opportunity for success. A month later, she enlisted in the Air Force as an Arabic linguist. During her six years in uniform, Lienert earned her bachelor’s degree through tuition assistance and accredited military training, and within three years of separating from the military, she earned her Master of Business Administration with the help of the GI Bill— joining 25 million other beneficiaries who have used about $400 billion in VA education benefits since the GI Bill was signed into law 75 years ago. Officially known as the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill was born from the realization that nearly 16 million American service members who DAV MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2019 served during World War II would become unemployed when the war ended, which could have caused a severe economic depression. To combat such a potential disaster, experts studied the issue and recommended a series of education and training programs. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, the GI Bill has long been considered by historians, politicians and economists as one of the most significant and successful pieces of federal legislation ever produced. It provided a wide range of benefits—including education and vocational training, low-cost home loans, unemployment payments and an expansion of veterans health care—and is widely credited with being a key contributor in establishing the American middle class, expanding access to education and helping veterans transition from military to civilian life. It also kept millions of veterans from flooding the job market all at one time. According to federal statistics, about 8 million veterans took advantage of the educational benefits within the GI Bill’s first seven years of existence, and university degree holders more than doubled in the U.S. between 1940 and 1950. The baby boom also led to a housing shortage as veterans returned home and started families. Fortunately, the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program, DAV.ORG 16
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75 years of the GI Bill
M. Todd Hunter
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