The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) must restore full education benefits for members of the U.S. Army National Guard and the Reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, said U.S. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Steve Daines (R-MT) earlier this week.
“The brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces choose to serve for a number of reasons and make many sacrifices in the defense of our country,” the senators wrote in a Sept. 24 letter sent to U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper. “The benefits provided by the Montgomery GI Bill and DOD-funded [tuition assistance] are valuable incentives that can help the Reserve components meet their recruiting and retention goals by providing financial means for servicemembers to obtain a college degree.”
Currently, individuals who qualify for Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) or the Post 9/11 GI Bill may simultaneously use tuition assistance (TA) and GI Bill benefits, according to the letter also signed by a bipartisan contingent of 12 other senators, including U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
However, DOD policy issued in 2014 prohibits similar concurrent usage of TA with the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) and the senators called on Esper to make an administrative change to reverse that policy.
Their letter also aligns with Sen. Hoeven’s bipartisan, bicameral Montgomery GI Bill Parity Act of 2019, S. 1136, which would allow members of the Guard and Reserve to concurrently use federal TA programs and GI Bill benefits to fund their education, similar to active duty service members.
“Education benefits are one of the top incentives for those enlisting in the Guard and Reserve components, and we should ensure they can access all of the benefits they have earned in order to properly honor their sacrifices and service,” said Sen. Hoeven, adding that such action also “will help us maintain the readiness of these forces, which are essential to our defense, both at home and abroad.”