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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
Veteran Metro students will receive college tuition and living expense help from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, signed on June 30 but not effective until the fall 2009.
The requirements to qualify for the benefits of the bill are set from the length of time served to how the service member was discharged.
Soldiers enlisted in the armed forces after Sept. 10, 2001, will be able to seek higher education for certain periods of time across the country.
Monthly rates for service members of Chapter 30 and 1607, which have an honorable discharge, will have an increase whereas those of 1606, the Select Reserve, will be eligible until they separate from the service.
Reservists who are not deployed and stay stateside will receive their regular salary.
The GI Bill will pay tuition at the highest public institution rate in the state with a $1,000 per year book stipend.
The amount of living money will be based upon the ZIP code of the school.
All schools in the Denver metro area will receive $1,285 monthly for living expenses.
Though this amount is less than they get now for living expenses, they won't have to put any toward tuition.
Metro has more than 500 veterans utilizing the GI Bill from Chapters 30, 1606 and 1607.
Though changes come annually to GI Bills, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is the first major change to the Chapter 30 benefits.
Community colleges nationwide fear a significant drop in their attendance because of the bill, but Janet Maestas, of Veteran Services at Auraria, predicts a different outcome.
"Some of our veterans need to start at community college to get the skills that they need to go on to a four-year college," Maestas said.
Maestas, who lobbies for veterans' education in Washington, D.C., is always questioned about where the expenses will be taken from.
"There is a price tag attached to everything, and I'm surprised this passed actually," Maestas said.
Leroy Chavez, project director of the Veterans Upward Bound Department at Metro, is pleased to see the GI bill go through.
Chavez is not worried where the money to support the bill comes from.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 is part of H.B. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act -- the war supplemental, Chavez said.
The $63 billion over the next decade will come through appropriations and war funding from the Senate's approval before the president signed the bill into action.
Chavez and Maestas want to specify the bill will not be active until August of next year.
For questions go to www.gibill.va.gov or contact Veterans Services at 303-556-2993. Questions can also be directed to Veterans Upward Bound at 303-556-3305.
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