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Article: The new GI Bill: legislation means Reservists now qualify for same benefits as their active-duty counterparts.
- Article from:
- Citizen Airman
- Article date:
- October 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Air Force Reserves. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In June 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill into law that changed what opportunities were avail able to veterans returning from World War II. The largest aspect of the GI Bill of Rights gave these men and women the chance to pursue their college education, a privilege then reserved for the rich.
Within three years, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By 1956, 7.8 million out of 16 million veterans had taken advantage of the GI Bill of Rights education benefit. In 1984, U.S. Rep. Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery from Mississippi led an effort in Congress to revamp the program, giving it a new name: the Montgomery GI Bill.
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