In June, Congress enacted the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, commonly called the GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century. Supporters claim that it does for current veterans what was done for those who served in World War II. The expansion of educational benefits to veterans should be applauded. Any attempt to equate the economic and…

The original World War II GI Bill fully subsidized education or job training for 7.8 million veterans, making college a realistic expectation rather than an impossible dream, and enabled millions to move to and develop the suburbs. This caused a true social revolution and fueled the longest economic boom in history. (MSE)

At the outset, few politicians and educators recognized the potential of the GI Bill, calling it unworkable. However, the GI Bill had many positive features and no disadvantages, causing unexpected numbers of veterans to take full advantage of it, creating enrollment and housing surprises for colleges and universities. (MSE)