The GI Bill Equation

Jon Oberg (of whistle-blower fame) has a guest post over at Higher Ed Watch on the new GI Bill. While he praises the recent expansion of benefits, he also points out that it will take the cooperation of college financial aid offices in order for veterans to see the full benefits of the bill. As we've shown, colleges have been increasing the institutional aid they give to higher income students over the years, which means fewer dollars for low-income students - and possibly for veterans. Colleges can lessen the impact of federal grant aid by simply using it as an excuse to take away institutional aid the student would have otherwise received. Or colleges can join the federal government in increasing access to four-year institutions by supplementing the federal aid money to ensure veterans graduate with as little debt as possible.

This Chronicle of Higher Education ($) article from last month takes an interesting look at the impact of the GI Bill and the colleges--private, for-profit--that are reaping the biggest benefits from its expansion.