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Today, veterans will start receiving college education benefits under the new GI Bill for the 21^st Century (the “Post-9/11 GI Bill”).  An estimated 2.1 million members of the military who have served on active duty since September 11, 2001, including activated reservists and members of the National Guard, will be eligible for up to four years of education benefits, including stipends for housing and books. 

On May 1^st, veterans were able to start applying for a certificate of eligibility for the new college benefits at the VA website https://www.gibill.va.gov/.  And this year, Congress extended those college benefits to all children of fallen soldiers (with no minimum military service needed to qualify). 

Generally, the measure provides up to four years of education benefits at a college or university for individuals with at least 90 days of active duty service on or after September 11, 2001 who have been honorably discharged from service. The benefits are correlated on a sliding scale to the total months served and to receive full benefits, you must have served on active duty for three years.

All of the children of service members who have died on active duty since 9-11-01 qualify for the full education benefit, regardless of the length of military service of their parent; these benefits expire 15 years after the 18th birthday of surviving military children.