08.16.17

Hoeven: G.I. Education Bill Makes Guard Members Deployed Domestically Eligible for Education Benefits

Senator Working to Ensure that Guard Members Receive Benefits They Earned

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the President has signed into law legislation, unanimously passed by the Senate, to improve the G.I. bill, including a provision to make Guard members mobilized under domestic, pre-planned operations, like the North Dakota Army National Guard’s support for Operation Noble Eagle, eligible for education benefits.

“This legislation makes important improvements to the G.I. bill, including making deployed reservists eligible for education benefits, which is a provision I worked to include at the request of members of the North Dakota Guard currently protecting our nation’s capital,” said Hoeven. “Providing our service members and veterans with the education benefits they have earned will provide these men and women with more opportunities and a brighter future.”

The legislation signed into law today:

  • Makes reservists mobilized under selected reserve orders for preplanned missions in support of the combatant commands or in response to a major disaster or emergency eligible for G.I. benefits. 
  • Provides G.I. Bill eligibility for reservists undergoing medical care;
  • Provides full G.I. Bill benefits for Purple Heart recipients regardless of length of service;
  • Increases G.I. Bill payments by $2,300 per year for veterans with less than 12 months of active service.
  • Expands benefits for veterans pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) degrees.

Hoeven has been working to provide Guard members on pre-planned, domestic deployments with the benefits they deserve. The senator continues working to pass the Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act, which makes these reservists eligible not only for education benefits, but pre-deployment health care and adjustments to eligibility for retirement based on deployment time. 

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