The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010

Cassandria Dortch
Analyst in Education Policy

Since enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill; P.L. 110-252; Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 33), there has been discussion of problems and possible enhancements to improve the program's implementation, administration, and benefits. This report summarizes provisions in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (S. 3447), as reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on August 5, 2010, for full Senate consideration. 

Major provisions of S. 3447 would amend the Post-9/11 GI Bill (except as otherwise noted) to 

• allow National Guard members to include full-time duty under Title 32 toward their qualifying active duty service; 

• provide full tuition and fees to individuals eligible at the 100% benefit level attending public institutions of higher learning (IHLs); 

• provide the national average of tuition and fees to individuals eligible at the 100% benefit level attending private or foreign IHLs, subject to actual charges; 

• reduce the monthly housing allowance received by an eligible individual attending an IHL more than half-time but less than full-time; 

• provide a monthly housing allowance to eligible individuals enrolled more than half-time at an IHL through distance learning on more than a half-time basis; 

• Expand the eligible programs of education to include most programs approved under the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD; Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 30), such as on-the-job and apprenticeship, flight, and correspondence training; 

• allow eligible individuals on active duty to receive the books and supplies stipend in the same manner as individuals not on active duty; 

• remove the limit on the number of licensing and certification tests; 

• allow eligible individuals entitled to supplemental educational assistance for additional service under the MGIB-AD to receive remaining payments if the individual elects to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill; 

• allow eligible individuals to designate dependents to which benefits would be transferred after the eligible individual is separated from the Armed Forces; 

• allow commissioned officers in the Public Health Service (PHS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their dependents; 

• require the Secretaries concerned to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits transferred to dependents and supplemental educational assistance; and 

• amend the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E; Title 38 U.S.C., Chapter 31) program to allow eligible individuals to elect to receive the national average of the monthly basic allowance for housing (BAH) for a member of the Armed Forces with dependents in pay grade E-5 in lieu of the monthly subsistence allowance currently authorized.


Date of Report: August 13, 2010
Number of Pages: 18
Order Number: R41356
Price: $29.95

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