WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced the Fairness in Veterans’ Education Act. The bill ensures 25,000 service members who paid $1,200 into the Montgomery G.I. Bill get refunded, removing the rule tying reimbursement to a final housing payment. Rep. Ronny Jackson is leading the companion bill in the House.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) “As a veteran, I’ll always stand by those who served. This bill makes things right for the 25,000 service members who paid into the Montgomery G.I. Bill before qualifying for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. These are hard-earned benefits, and the federal government owes these veterans up to $1,200. I want to make sure they get it.”
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.): “For too long, veterans who paid into the GI Bill have been shortchanged and left without the benefits they earned. This bill helps right that wrong and gives our servicemembers the opportunities they deserve. Every veteran deserves full access to the education and training they were promised.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13): “No servicemember should be punished simply for pursuing an education while on active duty. This bill is a necessary step towards restoring fairness to the VA system while supporting our veteran community, aligning with President Trump’s mission to provide top-tier care and support for those who have served this nation.”
The Fairness in Veterans’ Education Act would:
- Ensure the VA refunds approximately 25,000 service members who paid $1,200 into the Montgomery G.I. Bill before using the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on active duty.
- Remove the requirement that reimbursement must be issued through a final monthly housing payment.
Full bill text here.
Background:
Both Senator Banks and Senator Gallego are veterans of the Global War on Terror. Banks was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014.
In 2023, while serving in the House of Representatives, then-Rep. Banks introduced the Fairness in Veterans’ Education Act, which passed in March.
In 2019, then-Rep. Banks introduced the bipartisan Student Veteran Protection Act, shifting the responsibility for GI Bill overpayments from student veterans to schools when reimbursing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).