Media
Veterans Celebrate 73rd Anniversary of GI Bill
NEW YORK, NY (June 22, 2017) — Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the leading post-9/11 veterans empowerment organization, is celebrating the anniversary of the GI Bill signing and sharing stories of the countless veterans who have used the critical wartime benefit.
Building on the solid foundation of the original GI Bill along with a coalition of VSO partners and bipartisan leaders in Washington DC, IAVA led the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008 and championed upgrades in 2010 and 2014. These upgrades simplified and improved tuition benefits, expanded eligibility to the National Guard, included vocational programs, and made nationwide in-state tuition rates a possibility for new veterans. The Post-9/11 GI Bill capitalizes on the investment in our nation’s veterans made possible by the original GI Bill empowering new veterans to build successful lives.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill has been used by over 1.5 million veterans and their family members to accomplish educational goals and chart new career paths. In 2016, IAVA’s year-long campaign to #DefendtheGIBill effectively killed over $4 billion in attempted cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill by the 114th Congress.
This year, on the 73rd anniversary of the original legislation, IAVA is especially proud that 20% of veterans and service members using post-9/11 GI Bill are women, and an estimated 280,800 have used it in total. IAVA’s groundbreaking She Who Borne the Battle campaign is aimed at increasing recognition and services for women veterans, including ensuring that women who serve in wartime are awarded the education benefits they deserve.