Since ACE’s founding in
1918, the Council has played a key role in responding to the educational
needs of military members and veterans, including by working closely
with the federal government on two GI Bills—the original implemented
after World War II and an updated version in the aftermath of 9/11.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed
a commission—which included ACE President George F. Zook—to help
America’s World War II veterans return to civilian life. ACE helped
draft and lobbied for the passage of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act,
commonly called the GI Bill. President Roosevelt signed the bill into
law on June 22, 1944, saying, “[This bill] gives emphatic notice to the
men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend
to let them down.”
The bill awarded military veterans broad and
generous economic rights in three key areas: educational support,
unemployment benefits, and loan guarantees. The education benefits
included annual tuition payments of up to $500 for one to four years,
depending on age and length of service, plus a monthly stipend for
living expenses.
Notably, the benefits were awarded to
individuals rather than institutions, so veterans could apply them to
the college, university, or vocational, technical, or apprentice
training of their choice. Fifty-one percent of all veterans, or roughly 8
million people, accessed the GI Bill’s educational provisions, with
about one-fourth pursuing college degrees and the remainder pursuing
vocational training.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has been
commemorating the 75th anniversary by asking recipients to submit videos
telling their GI Bill stories by June 22. Accepted videos are being
published on the GI Bill website and YouTube.