Pentagon Misinforms National Guard and Reserve Soldiers About Education Benefits

A report on the dispute between the Pentagon and National Guard and Reserve veterans over eligibility for GI Bill education benefits, produced by Melinda Tuhus

Some American soldiers returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and now hoping to start or continue their college education, are being told that they're no longer eligible for GI Bill education benefits. But a law was passed in the early 1990s extending National Guard and Reserve soldier benefits eligibility for a period of time after leaving the service. The Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense disagree on whether the 400,000 service members who have served in these two wars are eligible for up to $300 a month in benefits to pursue an education.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus files this report. She begins by interviewing Jack Mordente, executive director of the National Association of Veterans Program Administrators and director of Veterans Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University, about his efforts to help returning vets secure these benefits.

For more information on G.I. Bill benefits, visit the National Association of Veterans Program Administrators website at www.navpa.org.

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