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By Gabe Whisnant
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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Friday that it has revised the process for awarding G.I. Bill benefits, allowing veterans who have served multiple periods of military service, such as those who reenlisted, to be eligible for up to an additional 12 months of education benefits.
Previously, veterans who served at least two periods of service were limited to a maximum of 36 months of G.I. Bill benefits, which included both the Montgomery G.I. Bill and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. The updated policy removes this limitation, allowing eligible veterans to qualify for up to 48 months of total G.I. Bill benefits.
Newsweek has emailed the Department of Veterans Affairs on Saturday for additional comment.
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Supreme Court Decision Leads to Expanded G.I. Bill Limits
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the Rudisill v. McDonough case, siding with James Rudisill, a former U.S. Army captain, in a 7-2 ruling. The Court ruled that Rudisill could maintain some of his educational benefits under two different G.I. Bills.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the majority opinion, with Justices John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, siding with her opinion.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito wrote a dissenting opinion.
Rudisill believed he had 10 months of educational benefits under a previous plan, but he was denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Supreme Court opinion states that Rudisill began his time in the U.S. Army in 2000 and went on to serve eight years, on three separate periods of military service. During his first period of service, Rudisill enlisted in educational benefits under the Montgomery Bill but the opinion states that "through his subsequent periods of service, Rudisill also became entitled to more generous educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Rudisill sought to use his Post-9/11 benefits to finance a graduate degree."
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What to Know About G.I. Bills
G.I. Bills provide financial assistance to U.S. military veterans for education and training, stemming from the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, which helped World War II veterans with tuition, mortgages and unemployment benefits.
The Montgomery G.I. Bill, introduced in 1984, expanded these benefits to cover various forms of education for active-duty and reserve members.
In 2008, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill further extended benefits, offering full tuition coverage, housing allowances, and book stipends for veterans who served after September 11, 2001. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has paid over $143 billion to over 2.7 million beneficiaries, according to the VA.
In another updated policy change, the VA is also extending the expiration dates for using G.I. Bill benefits for eligible veterans. For each veteran with multiple periods of service who opted for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill instead of the Montgomery G.I. Bill, the VA will reinstate the time they had remaining at the time of their election, plus an additional 90 days.
What They're Saying
Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs said in a statement: "Every veteran has earned the right to get a good, affordable education. And under this new policy, many veterans will get additional 12 months of GI Bill benefits."
The VA said in a press release: "Supporting Veterans and their families is a key pillar of President (Joe) Biden's Unity Agenda for the nation. VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration are committed to helping Veterans get the high-quality, low-cost education they deserve. In 2024 alone, VA helped more than 900,000 Veterans or their families pay for school and cover expenses while training for a job."
What Happens Next
The VA said the updated policy could impact as many as 1.04 million veterans and beneficiaries. The department said it is "launching a targeted outreach campaign to make sure that every veteran gets the additional benefits they deserve."
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