States look to fill veterans tuition gaps

[unhappycamper]

States look to fill veterans tuition gaps
By Tom Hester Jr. - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday May 25, 2008 12:59:59 EDT

TRENTON, N.J. — William Brown sees one big way the government can show gratitude to the men and women who have served in the armed forces: Give them more help to pay for a college education.

Brown, who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, is a junior at Rutgers-Camden. He said he gets tuition help and uses federal benefits, but said he and his wife barely pay their mortgage and property taxes, have never owned a new car and don’t take vacations.

“Veterans have given and sacrificed for this country,” he said. “They have earned the ability to receive a college education.”

New Jersey is among an increasing number of states looking to enhance tuition benefits for veterans. Critics say the nation’s GI Bill, that since World War II has helped veterans attend college, is outdated and lacking.

Congress is weighing legislation to enhance the federal GI Bill, but states have been looking to fill gaps since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks initiated large and extended National Guard deployments.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_tuitiongaps_052408/