News Release
First Year of Post-9/11 GI Bill Assessed
Nov 11, 2010
Military Veterans' Experiences Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Pursuing Postsecondary Education
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The Post-9/11 GI Bill, which took effect in August of 2009, significantly increased the higher education benefits available to eligible individuals who served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces after September 10, 2001. The result is the most generous education benefit for veterans since the original GI Bill of 1944. However, the new array of benefits is also more complicated to administer than benefits offered under the existing Montgomery GI Bill, resulting in numerous first-year implementation challenges. To better understand these challenges from the perspective of students and higher education institutions, the American Council on Education (ACE) asked RAND to survey and conduct focus groups with veterans and eligible dependents and to interview higher education administrators. This report, which was made possible by ACE and the Lumina Foundation for Education, presents results of the study, describing not only students' and institutions' reported experiences with the new benefits, but also students' experiences transferring military training to academic credit and adapting to life on campus.
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Approach and Methods
Chapter Three
Findings
Chapter Four
Recommendations
Appendix A
Summary of Current and Prior Military Education Benefits
Appendix B
Methodological Supplement
Appendix C
Response Rate Tables
Appendix D
Student Focus Group Protocol
Appendix E
Focus Group Demographic Information Sheet
Appendix F
Interview Protocol for Non-Enrolled Veterans
Appendix G
Interview Protocol for Campus Administrators
Appendix H
Student Survey
The research described in this report was carried out by RAND Education, a unit of the RAND Corporation with support from Lumina Foundation for Education, for the American Council on Education
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
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