I just read this and I think it is a great endeavor. Hope it gets ironed out. After all, who has paid the higher price for our country? Is it the underprivaleged going to college on grants? Is it the rich kids who have unlimited resources to pay for their education? Is it the common student who works their way through school and depend on student loans?
Seems to me it is our fighting men who have earned the opportunity of a free college education above all others.
Senator Webb represents a changing face in Congress...A Senator who is a Decorated Vietnam Veteran, a Senator whose Son serves in the Marines and recently returned from a tour in Iraq, and a Senator who truly cares about our Armed Services and our Veterans. We need a new GI Bill if for no other reason than to train and further educate Veterans to replace some of the Dead Wood currently in Congress.
It must be strange to be returning to college after having served in a war zone. And for a number of reasons.
First the age disparity - a class of freshmen at age 18 vs an average age of 23 for returning students.
Second a disparity in maturity level. High school is a 'maturing' experience of only relative value.
Thirdly, numbers. returning veterans would be in a minority in any classrooms outside a military institution.
College life would bear little resemblance to the 'real world' for these vets.
The very best of luck to them, such experience should be completely paid dependent only on passing grades (an unfortunate but essential part of the experience).
When enacted the GI Bill was a good investment for the country and a great benefit for veterans. Over time the value of the benefit has not kept up with increased costs. When I used the benefit for law school in the early 1970s it paid for tuition, books and living expenses (albeit humble) for 3 years. We were 6 vets in my law school class and even in a liberal anti-war era we were respected by our classmates and faculty. We had to get our study habits up to speed because law school is a grind but at least no one was trying to kill us. The value of the benefit has not kept pace with raising costs. Today it would not pay for 1 year of law school and as discussed is not enough to cover undergraduate tuition. I commend Senator Webb for his efforts. Today's vets are worth at least as much as those who were part of the "Greatest Generation" so lets update the benefits.
