The four major GI Bills: A historical study of shifting national purposes and the accompanying changes in economic value to veterans

Benefits for soldiers follow the formation of armies raised for the purpose of extending national or state will. Veterans' benefits for defenders of the United States emerged during the American colonial period. The first baccalaureate educational benefits for American fighting men began in World War II. Over time, educational benefits for service personnel have changed in (a) purpose and (b) monetary value.This study examines the variations in purpose for nationally established educational benefits for veterans and the singular value to the veterans of these educational benefits. The study begins with a brief overview of the history of veterans benefits, starting with ancient and U.S. national and state benefits. Primary emphasis is then placed on the educational portion of the World War II Servicemen's Readjustment Act and the current educational benefit, the Montgomery GI Bill.As the purpose of awarding educational benefits changed from World War II to the latest U.S. war, the Gulf War of 1990--1991, the value to the individual soldier also changed. Historically, the purpose of the enactment of the GI Bill was transformed from a program that eased the impact of large numbers of youthful workers into an economy unable to absorb such an influx to a program of enlistment incentive---one bill iteration focusing on the back-end of service, the others, particularly the latest, the Montgomery GI Bill, on the front-end of service.The original economic value of the GI Bill has similarly been transformed. The World War II GI Bill essentially paid all of the veterans' educational costs, whereas the latest version, the Montgomery GI Bill, pays approximately one third or less of the cost of an education for veterans.Data supporting this study were extracted from historical documents in both primary, secondary, and terciary scholarly studies and writings, government documents, national newspapers and periodicals, Veterans Administration publications, service newspaper, and anecdotal writings.The study offers conclusions regarding the shifting purposes and value and recommends changes to current and future GI Bills. These conclusions are: (a) the present purpose of the Montgomery GI Bill is to serve as a recruitment tool for the U.S. Armed Force, whereas the WWII GI Bill emphasized concern over the return of millions of veterans to a waning wartime economy that would not be able to offer full employment for these veterans, and, (b) the present GI funds less than 50% of the costs for a 4 year degree while the first GI Bill, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 fully funded a college degree, tuition and living expenses included.