The current GI Bill provides a monthly benefit of approximately $1100 a month for full-time students and the student must be enrolled in classes in order to receive the benefit. The cost of tuition (out-of-state) plus fees at the university where I work is: full time students (14 hours +) who live off-campus about $36,000 a year (UMKC). This is based on a nine month academic year. During that nine month period the students GI Bill benefit would be $9900 - about $26,100 short of the cost for one year of college. Our veterans deserve more than that!

I attended college with the assistance of the Montgomery GI Bill - I served for three years on active duty, deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, then served another five years in the Army Reserve in order to attend university. During my first year of active duty I was charged $100 a month ($1200) in order to receive the GI Bill benefit (seriously!). My monthly benefit at the time was about $800 a month - I was able to use that for living expenses but still had to work a part-time job while going to school full-time. I also had to rely heavily on financial aid and now have a tremendous student loan debt to repay (let's just say I bought a cute little bungalow - at least that is what I keep telling myself to detract from the trauma).

I am appalled that McCain and Bush are opposed to the the new GI Bill. We owe it to our Veterans to provide them with a GI Bill that will not force them in to debt for an education. They have volunteered their lives in defense of our nation - we are forever indebted to our veterans and the sacrifices they make on a daily basis. For more information on the Veterans perspective about the new GI Bill, click here.