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SUPPLEMENT: Extend & Expand the GI Bill

By VVAW

According to the Veterans Administration, the GI Bill enrollment will "continue its downward trend in fiscal year 1979." From the present total student population (both vets and active duty GIs) of 1.29 million it will drop to 1.1 million next year.

None of this comes as much of a surprise to today's vet/students. First, the GI bill payments, even with the November raise, isn't enough to get by on unless the vet works a full time job and goes to school besides, the GI Bill barely allows him to squeeze by. In fact the government hopes to buy off the vet with the cost of living allowance which the recent raise represents but vets aren't about to take the bait. Despite their "kindness," today's GI bill is still a shadow of the Bill at the end of World War II--in comparative buying power the WWII Bill beats this one by nearly 300%.

Then there's the ten year restriction. There's no reason why vets should have only ten years to use the Bill; the need to get an education or job training can come at any time.

Or there are the hundred and one other petty restrictions and harassments everything from attendance checks in the schools (reminding vets of bed checks in the military) to late GI Bill checks and changes in the system of payment. And for the present enlistees, there's no Bill at all!

All of this leads to the decrease in enrollment. But there's a bigger reason behind it all. Paying vets to got to school doesn't make any money for the rich who run this country, an more than healthcare in VA hospitals or a large number of other program. So the solution is to cutback in any way possible.

Vets fought to get as far as we have--and vets won't stop now. That's why we say Extend and Expand the GI Bill!