Army veteran backs Dems' GI Bill
By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 8, 2008 at 6:19 p.m.
Updated June 8, 2008 at 11:53 p.m.
Army veteran Jason Crow served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan only to return home and have to fight another battle: Getting his promised educational benefits under the nation's GI Bill.
Crow, 29, of Denver, who served both as a paratrooper and a Ranger, said he went into debt waiting for benefits to be approved so he could attend the University of Denver and work toward a law degree.
A year later, the expenses were reimbursed.
But he said that doesn't ease the sting of waiting on hold for a half-hour and being hung up on by a Department of Veterans Affairs employee after frustrating phone calls. And it doesn't remove the enormous backlog in veterans benefits that is choking an overburdened system, Crow said.
Crow joined U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., on the west steps of the state Capitol on Sunday to urge support for the Democratic version of a new GI Bill - called the 21st Century GI Bill - expected to come up for a vote in Congress this week.
Crow said he enlisted believing that if something happened, he and his family would be taken care of.
"I never thought I'd have to fight for my benefits," said Crow, who completed one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan before getting out in early 2006.
Currently, GI benefits pay for 70 percent of the cost of attending a public university or college and only 30 percent at a private institution, Udall said. The GI Bill benefits, enacted after World War II, have failed to keep pace with the skyrocketing cost of higher education, said Udall, who is seeking a Senate seat.
At an additional cost of $5 billion annually, the new version would cover the full cost of a four-year education at a public university for returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Udall said.
Money to pay for it would come from a 0.5 percent surtax on couples earning $1 million or more annually.
The increase in GI Bill spending is presently tucked inside a huge Iraq war-funding bill, which President Bush has threatened to veto because it contains unrelated domestic spending.
The Democratic version is sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. Under the bill, increased educational benefits would be available to all members of the military who have served for at least three months on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, including activated reservists and National Guard - who are now excluded from some benefits.
Veterans who have served active duty for three years or more would qualify for the full educational benefit - the cost of a four-year education up to the cost of the most expensive in-state public school.
Those who have served between three months and three years of active duty would qualify for a proportion of the benefit.
The bill also would provide a monthly housing stipend and give veterans up to 15 years - rather than the current 10 years - after they leave active duty to use their education assistance entitlement.
poppenj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5176
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June 9, 2008
9:37 a.m.
Suggest removal
cathy.hall writes:
Corngressman Udall is on the right side of this issue, but the fact that Democrats are trying to sneak it in through the Iraq spending bill shows that it is probably overblown. Much like the Employee Free Choice Act that he voted for in 2007, which will removed the private vote from the unionization process. Hold Boulder liberal Udall accountable!
June 13, 2008
8:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
Frank25 writes:
I enlisted 13Oct50 (same day draft notice arrived) and served 26 years 18 days, retiring 1 Nov 76. Served with WW two veterans, Korea, Vietnam, and cold war. Few enlisted had more than high school deploma (if that), with officers having BS or BA degree. That has now changed with about 98% of enlisted being HS graduates, and with many having some college. Officers all have degrees, even Masters and many PhD. Military funds in-service training and off-duty or even duty time college work. This funding results in better qualified personnel and benefits to the service. Many serve longer commitments for this training and education. McCains bill introduced end of May is much more beneficial to military and tax-payers by getting service in return. Also the longer the service, the more benefits to the student-veteran. After retirement, while in education at community colleges, working in registration, I realize that CETA, DETA, and Student Loan availability produced "professikonal students" who could not make up mind what they wanted to be and switched majors frequently. And after graduation with BS or BA, too many wait for employer to come to them and give them a job with salary commensurate with education. Many are in mid-20s, still living at home, and will not take just any job to gain experience and establish working record. Want to start on top, running something. Seems to be a problem for some into mid 30s, unless parents (or momma) gets fed up.