The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): Primer and Issues

Cassandria Dortch
Analyst in Education Policy

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill)—enacted as Title V of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252) on June 30, 2008—is the newest GI Bill and went into effect on August 1, 2009. There were four main drivers for the Post-9/11 GI Bill: (1) providing parity of benefits for reservists and members of the regular Armed Forces, (2) ensuring comprehensive educational benefits, (3) meeting military recruiting goals, and (4) improving military retention through transferability of benefits. By FY2010, the program had the largest numbers of participants and the highest total obligations compared to the other GI Bills.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides benefits to veterans and servicemembers who serve on active duty after September 10, 2001. Participants may be eligible for payments to cover tuition and fees, housing, books and supplies, tutorial and relocation assistance, and testing and certification fees. Individuals who serve on active duty for 36 months after September 10, 2001, may receive a tuition and fees benefit of up to the amount of in-state tuition and fees charged when enrolled in public institutions of higher learning, or up to $18,077.50 when enrolled in private institutions of higher learning in academic year 2012-2013. Benefit payments vary depending on the participant’s active duty status, length of qualifying active duty, rate of pursuit, and program of education.

There are two mechanisms by which dependents of individuals with military service may be eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits may be available to the dependents of servicemembers who stay in the military for at least 10 years. Also, the Post- 9/11 GI Bill Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship Program may be available to the children of servicemembers who die while serving on active duty in the line of duty.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-377) made several amendments to eligibility and benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-26) temporarily reversed a P.L. 111-377 amendment to the tuition and fees benefit for some individuals. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154) requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide annual reports to Congress on the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program (DEA).

Congress, administrators, and participants have raised several issues recently. In light of the amount of federal funds devoted to these benefits, an average of $13,871 per participant and a total of $7.7 billion in FY2011, some concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the programs of education and the deceptive recruiting techniques of some institutions serving Post- 9/11 GI Bill participants. The President issued Executive Order 13607, Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members, on April 27, 2012, to provide information, support, and protections to servicemembers, veterans, and their family members who use federal military and veterans educational assistance benefits. Issues have also been raised regarding benefit overpayments, benefit levels, transferability, and benefit uses.

This report provides a description of the eligibility requirements, benefit availability, benefit payments, participation, and obligations of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The report also describes a few issues that may be addressed by Congress.


Date of Report: September 21, 2012
Number of Pages: 34
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The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): Primer and Issues

Cassandria Dortch
Analyst in Education Policy

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill)—enacted as Title V of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252) on June 30, 2008—is the newest GI Bill and went into effect on August 1, 2009. There were four main drivers for the Post-9/11 GI Bill: (1) providing parity of benefits for reservists and members of the regular Armed Forces, (2) ensuring comprehensive educational benefits, (3) meeting military recruiting goals, and (4) improving military retention through transferability of benefits. By FY2010, the program had the largest numbers of participants and the highest total obligations compared to the other GI Bills.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides benefits to veterans and servicemembers who serve on active duty after September 10, 2001. Participants may be eligible for payments to cover tuition and fees, housing, books and supplies, tutorial and relocation assistance, and testing and certification fees. Individuals who serve on active duty for 36 months after September 10, 2001, may receive a tuition and fees benefit of up to the amount of in-state tuition and fees charged when enrolled in public institutions of higher learning, or up to $18,077.50 when enrolled in private institutions of higher learning in academic year 2012-2013. Benefit payments vary depending on the participant’s active duty status, length of qualifying active duty, rate of pursuit, and program of education.

There are two mechanisms by which dependents of individuals with military service may be eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits may be available to the dependents of servicemembers who stay in the military for at least 10 years. Also, the Post- 9/11 GI Bill Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship Program may be available to the children of servicemembers who die while serving on active duty in the line of duty.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-377) made several amendments to eligibility and benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-26) temporarily reversed a P.L. 111-377 amendment to the tuition and fees benefit for some individuals. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154) requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide annual reports to Congress on the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program (DEA).

Congress, administrators, and participants have raised several issues recently. In light of the amount of federal funds devoted to these benefits, an average of $13,871 per participant and a total of $7.7 billion in FY2011, some concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the programs of education and the deceptive recruiting techniques of some institutions serving Post- 9/11 GI Bill participants. The President issued Executive Order 13607, Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members, on April 27, 2012, to provide information, support, and protections to servicemembers, veterans, and their family members who use federal military and veterans educational assistance benefits. Issues have also been raised regarding benefit overpayments, benefit levels, transferability, and benefit uses.

This report provides a description of the eligibility requirements, benefit availability, benefit payments, participation, and obligations of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The report also describes a few issues that may be addressed by Congress.


Date of Report: September 21, 2012
Number of Pages: 34
Order Number: R42755
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Career and Technical Education (CTE): A Primer

Cassandria Dortch
Analyst in Education Policy

Career and Technical Education (CTE), often referred to as vocational education, provides occupational and non-occupational preparation at the secondary, postsecondary, and adult education levels. CTE is an element of the nation’s workforce development system. As such, CTE plays a role in reducing unemployment and the associated economic and social ills. This report provides a primer on CTE to support congressional discussion of initiatives designed to rationalize the workforce development system.

CTE prepares students for roles outside the paid labor market, teaches general employment skills, and teaches skills required in specific occupations or careers. In order to focus and structure programs, curricula, and resources, practitioners at the local, state, and federal levels often organize CTE into 16 career clusters and various career pathways for each career cluster. CTE career clusters include several occupational areas, such as health science and manufacturing. Career pathways generally refer to a series of connected education and training strategies and support services that enable individuals to secure industry-recognized credentials and obtain employment within an occupational area and to advance to higher levels of future education and employment in that area.

At the secondary level, CTE is offered in high schools, area CTE centers, community colleges, and detention centers. Nearly all 2009 public high school graduates (88%) earned at least one CTE credit, and 19% earned at least three CTE credits in a single occupational area. Four issues confound the offering of CTE at the secondary level. The first is whether CTE courses should be offered to (1) broaden the students’ education and provide early exposure to several career options or (2) ensure students are prepared to enter the workforce immediately with an industryrecognized credential after completion of a career pathway in high school or after one to two additional years of postsecondary education or training. The second issue is the expense of maintaining and updating the instructional resources and equipment for a single career cluster or pathway, particularly at the secondary level. The third issue is whether CTE adds value to a college preparatory high school curriculum. For example, U.S. Department of Education statistics of 2004 public high school graduates demonstrated no significant difference in average wages between all graduates working for pay but not enrolled in postsecondary education and CTE graduates working for pay but not enrolled in postsecondary education. However, of the CTE graduates working for pay but not enrolled in postsecondary education, only 30% were in an occupation related to their high school CTE concentration. The final issue is related to state adoption in recent years of the common core standards that are termed college- and career-ready standards, although the standards do not define career-ready and thus may not provide immediate career preparation.

At the postsecondary level, CTE is offered by community colleges, vocational schools, and employers through apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Some CTE programs are terminal (few courses are transferable for credit toward a more advanced credential), while others may lead to stackable credentials (a sequence of credentials leading to more advanced qualifications). The ability or inability to transfer CTE credits toward a credential with higher earning potential or a bachelor’s degree highlights one conflict among policymakers. The difficulty in structuring every postsecondary CTE program to include the first one to two years of general bachelor’s degree requirements is that the CTE program will likely require more time to accomplish and may be of less interest to the CTE student.

CTE for adults is work-related course-taking that may incorporate adult basic education (ABE). At the adult level, CTE is offered by secondary and postsecondary CTE providers, employers, and community and government organizations. The rates at which adults engage in work-related course-taking increases with age, labor market engagement, and education.


Date of Report: September 20, 2012
Number of Pages: 21
Order Number: R42748
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The TRIO Programs: A Primer

Cassandria Dortch
Analyst in Education Policy

This report serves as an introduction to the TRIO programs. The TRIO programs are the primary federal programs providing support services to disadvantaged students to promote achievement in postsecondary education. This report provides a description of the TRIO programs, authorized in Title IV-A-2-1 of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; P.L. 110-315) in 2008. Key program amendments of the HEOA as implemented through final Department of Education (ED) regulations published in 2010 are discussed. The report is intended to support congressional understanding of the programs, summarize recent evaluations and performance reports, and review the Department of Education’s progress in implementing HEOA.

In FY2012, the TRIO programs were funded at $840 million and served almost 800,000 secondary, postsecondary, and adult students. The TRIO programs have been designed to prepare qualified individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds for postsecondary education and encourage their success throughout the educational pipeline from secondary school to undergraduate and graduate education. While the TRIO programs primarily serve low-income, first-generation college students, they also serve students with disabilities, veterans, homeless youth, foster youth, and individuals underrepresented in graduate education. The TRIO programs are also designed to award prior grantees that implement successful projects and propose highquality projects with subsequent grants before awarding applicants without prior TRIO experience.

There are six TRIO programs, each serving a different demographic. The TRIO Upward Bound (UB) Program serves secondary school students, providing relatively intensive preparation services and encouragement to help students pursue education beyond secondary school. the TRIO Talent Search (TS) Program provides less intensive services than UB in support of the completion of high school and enrollment in postsecondary education, and it encourages primarily students and out-of-school youth. The TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program primarily serves adults. The TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program motivates undergraduate students to complete their undergraduate education. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) Program prepares undergraduate students for graduate school. Finally, the TRIO Staff Development (Training) Program trains TRIO project staff to be more effective.

Several TRIO program provisions were amended through the HEOA. Two key HEOA amendments address issues pertaining to the application review process: scoring and second reviews (appeals). The first amendment defined outcome criteria that require the secretary and each grantee to agree upon objectives/targets for the criteria. The extent to which grantees meet or exceed these objectives determines the number of prior experience (PE) points the grantee may earn as part of its application in the next grant competition. Earning more PE points increases the likelihood of funding. The FY2011 TS and EOC and FY2012 UB grant competitions requested that applicants propose objectives for the statutorily defined outcome criteria. The second amendment established an application review process by which those unsuccessful applicants that can identify a specific technical, administrative, or scoring error may have their applications reviewed a second time (appealed). The FY2012 TRIO UB competition is the first to use the revised application review process.


Date of Report: September 10, 2012
Number of Pages: 34
Order Number: R42724
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Interest Rates on Subsidized Stafford Loans to Undergraduate Students

David P. Smole
Specialist in Education Policy

Subsidized Stafford Loans are one of the types of federal student loans made available through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) program, authorized under Title IV, Part D of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). These loans are only available to students who demonstrate financial need. Since July 1, 2012, Subsidized Stafford Loans are now available exclusively to undergraduate students. The federal government “subsidizes” these loans by relieving the borrower of the requirement to pay the interest that accrues while he or she is in school and during other authorized periods.

Fixed interest rates apply to all Subsidized Stafford Loans made on or after July 1, 2006. During the period from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2008, Subsidized Stafford Loans to undergraduate students were made with a fixed interest rate of 6.8%. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (CCRAA; P.L. 110-84) set lower interest rates on Subsidized Stafford Loans made to undergraduate students during the period from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2012. Different, incrementally lower fixed interest rates were set for loans made for each award year (AY) during this period. A fixed interest rate of 3.4% applies to Subsidized Stafford Loans made to undergraduate students during the final award year affected by the CCRAA amendments, July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012 (AY2011-2012).

The interest rate reductions made by the CCRAA did not apply to Subsidized Stafford Loans that would be made on or after July 1, 2012. These loans were scheduled to be made with a fixed interest rate of 6.8%. In the 112th Congress, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21; P.L. 112-141) was enacted which set a fixed interest rate of 3.4% for Subsidized Stafford Loans made during the one-year period from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013 (AY2012-2013). The 3.4% interest rate set by MAP-21 applies only to loans made for AY2012- 2013. Under current law, all Subsidized Stafford Loans made on or after July 1, 2013, will have a fixed interest rate of 6.8%.

In the 112th Congress, there was broad support for extending, through June 30, 2013, the period during which Subsidized Stafford Loans would be made with a 3.4% interest rate. However, the process of identifying and agreeing on offsets to the resulting increase in mandatory spending proved difficult during a period in which the federal government is facing budgetary challenges. Whether to allow the 6.8% interest rate scheduled to apply to loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2013, to take effect or to enact legislation that would establish a different interest rate or interest rate formula is an issue that may be considered during the remainder of the 112th Congress or in the 113th Congress.


Date of Report: August 23, 2012
Number of Pages: 13
Order Number: R42515
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