02 December 2008

New GI Bill: Higher Ed Story for 2009

A higher ed story for 2009 will be implementation of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which will serve more than 2 million veterans. In January, the Department of Veterans Affairs will co-sponsor with the American Council on Education (ACE) open meetings to explain the Act's provisions and also hear concerns about how payments will be made for veterans' education. The open meetings are scheduled for:

* January 6, 2009: Los Angeles, California
* January 9, 2009: Washington, D.C.
* January 14, 2009: Chicago, Illinois

As reported on the ACE web page about the June 2008 Veteran's Summit, Charlie Reed (Chancellor, California State U System) challenged institutions to "do an assessment of how you're doing with programs and services for military veterans." For campus assessors who need an orientation to the issues, I recommend the ACE Issue Brief (12-page PDF) entitled Service Those Who Serve: Higher Education and America's Veterans.

FAQs about the new education benefits from the veteran's perspective are answered on the GI Bill web site of the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Tomorrow's blog will highlight the U of Arkansas initiative on campus services for and experiences of veterans.

© 2008 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Email contact: bold[AT]marybold.com. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as legal or professional advice. Bold is the co-author of Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. She is a consultant and speaker on assessment, distance learning, and technology.

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