Benefits under new GI Bill vary widely by state
Veterans attending college could get a full ride or very little help
Damian Dovarganes / AP file
Anthony Brooks, a former Army corporal, plans to attend the University of Southern California in the fall under the new GI Bill. He will get a mere $5,000 toward the $38,570 tuition charged at the private school, while veterans who choose a private school in Texas could get close to $20,000 a semester.
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updated 1 hour, 29 minutes ago
When the new GI Bill kicks in Aug. 1, the government's best-known education program for veterans will get the biggest boost since its World War II-era creation. But the benefit is hardly the "Government Issue," one-size-fits-all standard the name implies.
In fact, depending on where service members and veterans decide to attend college, they could receive a full ride, or very little.
An Associated Press review of state-by-state benefits under the new bill shows huge discrepancies in the amount veterans can receive.
For example:
_ Veterans attending New Hampshire colleges like Dartmouth might get $25,000 from the government each year, and in Dartmouth's case essentially a free ride, thanks to an additional grant from the Ivy League school. But in neighboring Massachusetts, it is a different story. At that state's numerous private schools — many just as expensive as Dartmouth — the government's baseline tuition benefit is only about $2,200 a year.
_ Veterans who choose a private school in Texas could get close to $20,000 a semester from the government for a typical course load. Those picking schools in California will get nothing for tuition.
The explanation stems from the formula the government created, as well as a much-criticized decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs on how to implement the law.
The new GI Bill covers full in-state undergraduate tuition and fees at any public college. That's far more generous than the old GI Bill, which provides a monthly stipend that is the same from state to state.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31765771/ns/us_news-military
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Just smacking my forehead in frustration...I was hoping that this was going to be unilaterally straight across the board {new & improved college reimbursement via the G.I. Bill}...or why say that they were going to fix this so that the GI Bill was going to be 'BETTER'...does this committee have a CLUE...any CLUE...anything??? 
