Education Benefits of Forever GI Bill

“Oh back to school, back to school, to prove to dad I’m not a fool” the words immortalized by Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore by every veteran when we start higher education. It’s a nice way to laugh at the fact that we are indeed much older than many of our compatriots at school. With the new Forever GI Bill, going back to school for vets becomes a whole lot more accessible.This is a serious matter, however, as education has a way to drastically change your life for the better. Whether you choose to go to tech school and learn a trade such as welding or auto repair or you go to a four-year university, higher learning leaves a mark! All knowledge is beneficial and serves to grow. School House Rock once said that “knowledge is power” and they were right. Veterans are proving to be an unstoppable force once they have the certifications or degrees necessary to get into the jobs they were so perfectly prepared for. Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, knew the importance of this and told people that “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”In statistics kept by the VA (under Benefits Programs tab), veterans utilizing their education benefits have shot up. In the early 2000’s, only about 400k veterans were utilizing their education benefits. Jump to 2013 and it’s over 1 million veterans utilizing all sorts of educational benefits. The Post 9/11 GI Bill was a huge improvement on the existing Montgomery GI Bill, allowing veterans to focus on school and not have to work full time to pay bills. With this dramatic leap forward in legislation in 2009, where roughly 39k veterans utilized it, that number quickly jumped to over 750k by 2013.

Now we have a group of hardworking, selfless, men and women with experience in some of the most stressful environments entering the private sector workforce truly living the American dream and spurring on our economy. They are truly enjoying the liberties they fought so hard to protect. With the new GI Bill update entitled the Forever GI Bill, veterans are even more empowered to take on critical roles in the private sector ensuring their success now and in the future.When we think of veterans, we don’t think of men and women who want a handout, but rather a helping hand to get them started because once you give these men and women a direction, you just need to stand back and watch them go to work. You’ve never seen anyone go to work with the dedication and work ethic like a veteran who believes in the mission.The mission of the veteran, check that, the mission of a patriot and statesmen is never over. Instead, it just changes. We as a country are so entirely blessed to have men and women who put aside their own lives, delay their dreams and devote themselves to facing the dangers of this world. We are even more blessed when these patriots return home with a fervor to continue being a positive influence in their world by getting any sort of post-high school education. These patriots are changing lives. Veterans if you haven’t yet, we highly suggest you check out some of the programs available to you here.Read more military articles here.