AACRAO: Federal Relations: Federal Relations Archive: Partnership Letter to 107th Congress Members

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We the undersigned representatives of associations advocating on behalf of veterans, uniformed servicemembers, and higher education urge Congress to support a new model for the Montgomery GI Bill. Current educational realities, the eroded value of the current GI Bill benefit, and increasingly difficult challenges in meeting military recruiting goals lead us to conclude that minimal reform must be enacted and funded.

Our proposal is straightforward, provides meaningful educational opportunity, helps military recruiting, strengthens military retention, and has a realistic cost:

Establish a sensible, easily understood benchmark for the GI Bill that represents the minimum required to provide the education promised at recruitment. Base future stipends for all veterans on that benchmark.
1. Average tuition and expenses for a commuter student at a public four-year college is a reasonable and acceptable benchmark.
2. This benchmark, updated annually by The College Board, is $9229 for academic year 2000-01.
Provide the education that is promised at reasonable cost.
1. The GI Bill now provides nine monthly $650 stipends a year for four years. The total benefit is $23,400.
2. Monthly stipends based on the proposed benchmark would have been $1025 for academic year 2000-01. The new total benefit would be $36,900.

Post-war experience clearly demonstrates that better educated veterans pay far more taxes and are more productive in the society and economy. If budget estimates account for these well-known facts, the benchmarking of the GI Bill benefit that we suggest will enjoy broad support. We urge you to support it.