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New G.I. Bill

Monday, August 03, 2009

The new G.I. Bill took effect August 1st. Major Jamison Braun, deputy chief of transformation for the Air Force Personnel Center, and Paul Rieckhoff, founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, talk about how to navigate benefits.

Guests:

Jamison Braun and Paul Rieckhoff

Comments [18]

Johnathan from Orlando, Florida

What on Earth are you guys talking about? Veterans don't deserve education? Why shouldn't they be able to pass the benefits on to their children? It doesn't effect you in the slightest way, stop complaining and support free education. With the way some of you are talking about this bill I question whether or not you even got your high school diplomas.

Oct. 14 2009 09:51 PM
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Ron Kaplan from NYC

LB from AZ hit the nail on the head. Our current service people deserve this. Making it a transferable intergenerational legacy is a disgraceful bit of manipulation sung to the tune of the pork-barrel polka.

Aug. 03 2009 08:54 PM
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LB from AZ

As a veteran, I am pleased that our government is taking steps to improve the education of our existing and future citizens. I took advantage of the "old GI bill" and feel very fortunate that this opportunity was afforded to me for serving my country. Education is expensive and yes, even decades later, I'm still giving back. Pursuing my education sent a very clear message to my children and grandchildren. Understand the merits and facts of this new GI Bill - it really is a good thing and our current servicemen and women deserve this.

Aug. 03 2009 05:45 PM
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Ron Kaplan from NYC

Brian Lehrer's guest's gleeful comment that he just transferred his benefits to his 18 month old son was a tremendous turn-off. Something sensible that benefits directly those that have served, has been transformed into an unseemly grab bag. I don't want to pay for that guy's kid's education. I want him to improve himself now, become a professional in a field other than glomming bennies for his babies, so he can pay for his own kid's education. I'm surprised Brian let that pass unquestioned. The guest, who started out heroic and altruistic (thanks for serving our country), turns out to only be interested in serving himself - a piggish pickpocket - look what I got, what you once had. Some hero.

Aug. 03 2009 05:23 PM
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Trusty from 10021

Gary
don't worry, most won't go to school

Aug. 03 2009 04:05 PM
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beth

Do I really want to bankroll vets who signed up to "liberate" Iraq in the name of a lie and a buck? No, to be blunt.

What our soldiers need is better access to mental health facilities and sound, affordable health insurance, just like the rest if us.

Aug. 03 2009 03:41 PM
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Nick from Upper West Side

Why, with all the thousands and thousand of foreclosures in this country, thousands and thousands of houses and buildings standing empty, is there no available housing for homeless veterans?

What kind of idiotic country is this?

Aug. 03 2009 11:31 AM
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John from NYC

I really support the effort to make this benefit being made available to our service men and women. However this notion that we should use taxpayer money to subsidize the private colleges through this program is questionable. We have to ask these colleges to contribute financial aid to these veterans. So the limit put on restricting to highest in-state tuition of public colleges, is sensible and should be maintained.

Aug. 03 2009 11:25 AM
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Gary from UWS

Veterans deserve to be treated well, but this GI Bill is total government largesse in a time when the Treasury in bankrupt. Transferring the funding of college to dependents 15 years into the future after discharge? This is crazy!

Aug. 03 2009 11:25 AM
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Chris from New York

Is it worth it if you have to risk your life?? Especially when the motive for doing so isn't clear and is too politically motivated.

At least the program gives money to private schools/universities. Why would anyone choose a public school when they can go to a private? Having been to both, these veterans deserve private school. It was a MUCH better, less frustrating, experience for me and should be for them.

Also, what are we doing for injured veterans?? Has more money been allocated for their care? Will we ever pay for them to be properly cared for????

Let's pray noone is injured mentally or physically so they can partake in this college program. Otherwise they may be left in the lurch...

Aug. 03 2009 11:21 AM
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mozo from nyc

This may annoy some readers but you WON"T see a lot of these vets going to college. It's not like after WW2 when you had the GI Bill -- literacy was much higher then in the military than now. There have been several private studies done on this.

It will be the children that go to college from these families, assuming the kids are raised in an atmosphere that values higher education.

Aug. 03 2009 11:21 AM
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William from Manhattan

I am glad to help pay for this program. The record of original GI bill was so good for everybody involved. Much of the culture we take for granted today resulted from that program.

Aug. 03 2009 11:20 AM
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Erik from NYC

Is there a time limit to the benefit? My son is currently in the service and has an 18 month old daughter. Can he use his benefit for her college education when she is of college age?

Aug. 03 2009 11:18 AM
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Gary from UWS

Great, now universities will feel that they can jack up the price of tuition even higher with the government subsidizing the cost. Thanks, Congress.

Aug. 03 2009 11:18 AM
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Caitlin from Jersey City

Will private colleges with a strong religious affiliation also be covered? I'm all for veterans getting a free education, but I'd rather not have my tax dollars going to Liberty University or similar.

Aug. 03 2009 11:16 AM
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hjs from 11211

aren't some soldiers still on food stamps. maybe u should just pay them more for being cannon fodder

Aug. 03 2009 11:15 AM
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Richard Johnston from Upper West Side

So this is a lovely project that is yet another downstream cost of the idiotic wars we get involved in.

Aug. 03 2009 11:14 AM
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hjs from 11211

so we can't offer everyone a free college education in this country but if you play roulette with your life for the glory of the empire we'll give u a few buck for school instead of paying ur healthcare costs if u get PTSD. THANKS AMERICA.

Aug. 03 2009 11:07 AM
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