Congresswoman Matsui Votes to Pass Additional Educational Assistance for Post 9/11 Veterans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 16, 2010

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Votes to Pass Additional Educational Assistance for Post 9/11 Veterans
Legislation Improves New GI Bill, Ensures all Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Opportunity

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) voted to pass the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act, S. 3447, which will strengthen the New GI Bill for the 21st Century and provide a four-year college education for nearly 300,000 veterans enrolled in college this fall. S. 3447 will make it easier for veterans to use New GI Bill education benefits to pay for tuition, and will also extend the program to cover veterans seeking job training.

Today's legislation will strengthen the New GI Bill and ensure that all of the veterans who have fought to protect our nation following 9/11 are given the opportunities they deserve upon their return home, commented Congresswoman Matsui.

S. 3447 will give active duty students a book stipend of $1,000 a year, just like veterans receive under the current program and provide living allowances to distance learners, who are often injured veterans taking online classes. The measure will also grant full credit to National Guardsmen, like those called upon to respond to recent natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, making 130,000 more service members eligible for education benefits.

This legislation will also save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by closing unintended loopholes in the original legislation, matching living stipends to attendance status, and eliminating duplication of benefits. Having already passed the Senate, the measure will now be sent to the President for his signature.

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