by Jonathan Hunter

Created on: February 20, 2010

In 1944, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act was signed into existence by President Franklin Roosevelt, and this Act is frequently referred to simply as the GI Bill. The basic premise of the GI Bill is that it provides money for military veterans and service members to go to school. After World War II, many uneducated veterans found it difficult to find a decent job to support themselves and their families. Some estimates say that the instatement of the GI Bill led to more than two million soldiers attending college after World War II.

Over the past 60-plus years, the GI Bill has undergone various changes and modifications, and the current program is known as the Montgomery GI Bill. A very generous bill, it provides a monthly benefit for veterans and active duty service members who are enrolled in college. The funds are tax free and cover tuition, books, fees, and even living expenses for both undergraduates and graduate students. In order to be eligible to receive any of these benefits, a servicemember must have served at least ninety days of active duty in a branch of the United States military and have not received a dishonorable discharge.

The Montgomery GI Bill/Active Duty provides educational benefits for up to 36 months at a variety of educational venues. These benefits are available to a soldier for up to ten years following his last discharge from active duty. However, these restrictions are only the standard and may be adjusted depending on a number of factors which include the type of training that is chosen and the length of service in the military. For the most part, a servicemember should get his education as soon as possible after his release from active duty in order to receive the maximum benefits possible from the Montgomery GI Bill.

In July of 2008, a new bill was signed with increased benefits for the U.S. soldier. The Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect in August of 2009 and provides benefits for active duty servicemembers who have served for at least 90 days since September 10, 2001. These benefits increase based on the length of active duty service. The main difference between the two bills is that the Montgomery GI Bill sends the soldier a monthly check to help cover the cost of education-related fees, whereas the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays for expenses on a more specific basis and the money is not always given directly to the student.

Unlike the Montgomery GI Bill which provides a monthly check for servicemembers who are enrolled in

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