Congressman Murphy Renews Commitment to Expanding Educational Opportunities for Veterans on Anniversary of First G.I. Bill

Press Release

Today, on the anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the first G.I. Bill in 1944, Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) renewed his push to pass the Post-9/11 G.I. Education Fairness Act of 2009 to continue our commitment to veterans, active service personnel and their families. This expansion would allow returning veterans to receive assistance to pay for apprenticeship programs, technical training, flight training and preparatory courses for college admission tests.

"The G.I. Bill enabled a generation of veterans to access the education that allowed them rejoin the workforce and make continued contributions to our society," said Rep. Murphy. "Today, more than 60 years after FDR signed the original G.I. Bill, it is time to renew our commitment to our brave men and women who put their lives on the line for us to ensure they get all of the resources they deserve. That's why I introduced legislation to expand educational resources to them after they return home. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will continue to work every day to ensure that our veterans and active military personnel have access to the services and resources they need."

Murphy's legislation would amend current law to expand the types of approved education programs in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Specifically, this legislation would expand the approved programs under the Post 9/11 GI Bill beyond licensing and certification tests and courses offered by institutions of higher learning. Currently, the legislation has 20 bipartisan co-sponsors. The approved programs of education would include:

* Preparatory courses for a test that is required or used for admission to an institution of higher education or graduate school
* National tests for admission to or course credits at institutions of higher learning
* Programs of apprenticeship or other on-job training for individuals who are not on active duty
* Cooperative programs
* Training at non-college-degree institutions
* Correspondence training
* Entrepreneurship training
* Courses required to receive financial assistance from the Small Business Administration
* Flight training offered by entities other than institutions of higher learning

Congressman Murphy has made fighting for veterans a priority during his first year in office. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he has fought to get our men and women in the armed services the resources they need to do their jobs safely and successfully. Murphy has also worked with "Blue Water Navy" veterans across the country to get them the disability benefits they deserve due to injuries caused by exposure to Agent Orange.

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