70 Years of the GI BILL® 
A History of VA's Education and Training Benefits

Number of Beneficiaries Trained

• WWII GI Bill: 7.8 million 
• Korean Conflict GI Bill: 2.4 million
• Post-Korean – Vietnam Era GI Bill: 6 million
• Montgomery GI Bill: 1.9 million
• Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program: 870,000  
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program: 102,000  
• Post-9/11 GI Bill: 1.1 million 
• Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program: 75,000
TOTAL: More than 20 million trained


Total Education and Training Dollars Paid

• WWII: $14.5 billion 
• Post-Korean – Vietnam Era GI Bill: $42 billion
• Montgomery GI Bill – $28 billion 
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program – $1 billion 
• Post-9/11 GI Bill – $40 billion 
• Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program – $740 million 
TOTAL: More than 130 billion in education dollars distributed


Maximum Training Times

• WWII GI Bill – 48 months
• Korean Conflict GI Bill – 36 months
• Post-Korean – Vietnam Era GI Bill – 45 months
• Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program – 36 months 
• Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program – 45 months
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program – 36 months
• Montgomery GI Bill – 36 months
• Post-9/11 GI Bill – 36 months
• Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program – 12 months

Key Legislation

June 22, 1944:
Servicemembers Readjustment Act of 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt 

July 16, 1952:
The Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952, President Harry Truman

March 3, 1966:
Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966, President Lyndon Johnson

October 15, 1976:
Veterans' Education and Employment Assistance Act, President Gerald Ford  

October 19, 1984:
Montgomery GI Bill (Public Law 98-525), President Ronald Reagan 

June 30, 2008:
Post-9/11 GI Bill (Public Law 110-252), President George W Bush 

January 4, 2011:
Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, President Barack Obama

November 21, 2011:
VOW to Hire Heroes Act, President Barack Obama

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