On June 30, 2008, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which established the new Post-9/11 GI Bill program, was signed by the President. The Post-9/11 GI Bill program adopted a new way for VA to deliver education benefits. Whereas VA’s other education benefit programs provide a single, standard monthly payment directly to students enrolled in school, the Post-9/11 GI Bill requires VA to send multiple payments to both students and schools (see fig. 1). Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are based, in part, on an individual’s length of active-duty service. In order to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, individuals generally must have served at least 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001. However, in order to be eligible for the maximum benefits payable, individuals must have at least 36 months of aggregate active-duty service (see table 1). Those with less than 36 months of service receive a percentage of the maximum benefit payable. For example, if a veteran had 25 months of active-duty service, he or she would be eligible for 80 percent of the maximum allowable tuition and fee, housing, and book payments. In addition, in order to be eligible for the housing allowance, individuals must be enrolled in school more than half-time and taking at least one course on campus. Active-duty servicemembers are not eligible for the housing allowance or the books and supplies stipend. The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers up to the full cost of tuition and fees for a program of education at any public school. However, these costs cannot exceed the highest undergraduate tuition and fee rates charged to in-state residents by public schools in each state. The maximum tuition and fee rates, calculated separately for each state by its SAA, vary widely. Among states, the highest tuition rate for the 2010-2011 school year is $1,549 per credit hour in Texas, while the lowest is $99 per credit hour in Wyoming. The highest fee rate is $85,255 per term in Utah, while the lowest is $310 in Washington, D.C. Veterans attending private schools or graduate programs may receive additional benefits to cover costs that exceed this amount, through VA’s Yellow Ribbon program. Whereas the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers only education or training programs offered by institutions of higher learning, servicemembers and veterans can use VA’s other education benefits to obtain education or training offered through non-college degree, certificate, on-the-job training, apprenticeship programs, flight, and other programs. In addition to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA has three other education benefit programs for servicemembers and veterans (see app. III for a description of these programs): Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty; Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve; and Reserve Educational Assistance Program. Eligible individuals can receive up to 36 months of benefits under any one of VA’s education programs. However, one difference between the programs is that individuals under the Post-9/11 GI Bill have up to 15 years after they separate from the military to use the benefit. VA’s other education programs generally have a 10-year window to use benefits. The Post-9/11 GI Bill also uniquely allows eligible servicemembers to transfer their benefits to a spouse or dependents. In order to do so, servicemembers generally must commit an additional 4 years of military service. Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits cannot be transferred to a dependent after separation from the military. Finally, in order to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, eligible individuals must make what is called an “irrevocable election” and relinquish their entitlement to any other VA education benefits. On January 4, 2011, the president signed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, which revises the Post- 9/11 GI Bill program. For example, the law expands the Post-9/11 GI Bill to cover non-degree granting programs, apprenticeships or other on-the- job training programs, flight training programs, and training by correspondence. The law also simplifies tuition and fee benefits by eliminating the state maximum tuition and fee rates and capping benefits at all private and foreign schools at $17,500 per year. In addition, the law allows individuals enrolled exclusively online to receive a portion of the housing allowance, but also calculates the housing allowance for all beneficiaries based on their rate of pursuit (that is, the percentage of a full- time courseload). Many of these provisions are scheduled to take effect in the early fall of 2011. See appendix II for our overview of these changes. Nearly 2 million servicemembers and veterans have served in military operations in either Afghanistan or Iraq since 2001, and some of these individuals may have disabilities incurred or aggravated due to their military service. In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are considered to be signature disabilities of these recent conflicts. Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop after military combat and exposure to the threat of death or serious injury. Traumatic brain injury—an injury resulting from a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain—is one of the most common wounds of the current military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The nature of these conflicts, especially the widespread use of improvised explosive devices, increases the likelihood that servicemembers will be exposed to incidents that can cause a traumatic brain injury. We have previously found that veterans with disabilities are an emerging population in higher education, in part due to the enactment of the Post- 9/11 GI Bill. While some servicemembers and veterans with disabilities may be attending school using the Post-9/11 GI Bill or other VA education benefits, others may choose to attend school using benefits through VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program. The focus of VR&E is to provide employment for veterans with disabilities, and we have reported in the past that the majority of program participants chose to pursue employment through longer-term education and training, instead of more immediate employment through VR&E’s job placement or other services. The benefits that VR&E participants receive are similar to those offered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, but there are some key differences. For example, while both programs offer an allowance for living or housing expenses, the Post-9/11 GI Bill allowance may be more generous, depending on where an individual is attending school and other factors. On the other hand, while the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays tuition and fees up to a certain rate, the VR&E program pays full tuition, fees, books, supplies, and other expenses for educational programs, including those at private schools. If individuals elect to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, they are ineligible for the case management, individualized counseling support, and other benefits that the VR&E program offers. Within VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration, the Education Service division provides policy and program guidance for VA’s education benefit programs. Staff in VA’s four regional processing offices implement the programs, including making benefit decisions and conducting oversight of schools. State agencies and schools play key roles in helping implement VA’s education benefit programs (see fig. 2). Specifically, VA contracts with SAAs to determine whether schools and training programs offer education of sufficient quality. SAAs review and approve individual education and training programs at schools leading to a degree, certificate, or diploma. SAAs are created or designated by the governor of each state and staffed by state employees but are federally funded and responsible for approving and supervising those programs consistent with federal requirements. While SAAs are responsible for approving programs at schools for VA education benefits, other government agencies also oversee schools, such as the U.S. Department of Education (Education) for the purposes of federal student financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. In addition, schools may be licensed by states and approved by regional and national accrediting agencies. School employees, known as school certifying officials, are required to certify students’ enrollment status to VA and inform the agency of any changes during the semester, maintain students’ files, and make them available for inspection by VA and the SAA, among other responsibilities. All schools approved to receive VA’s education benefits must have a school certifying official. VA pays schools $7 annually for each student receiving these benefits to help defray the costs associated with fulfilling reporting requirements. VA has a variety of activities to reach out to and support servicemembers and veterans who may be eligible for education benefits. VA reaches out to eligible servicemembers by providing information at Transition Assistance Program (TAP) briefings offered at the time they separate from the military and has sponsored marketing campaigns for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. VA’s fiscal year 2010 campaign featured advertisements on Web sites like www.military.com, and magazines, such as Marine Corps Times, in addition to placing the Post-9/11 GI Bill logo and Web address on a NASCAR racecar. VA provides support during the process of applying for education benefits by posting information on its Web site and through social media channels like Facebook, answering questions by phone and e-mail, and offering free educational and vocational counseling. For example, VA staff at the toll- free hotline, known as the Education Call Center, answer individuals’ questions about benefits and can provide information on the status of their claims. VA’s Web-based Right Now Web service provides similar services via secure e-mail. Educational and vocational counseling is provided by VA’s VR&E program in VA’s regional offices and is available to individuals who are eligible for VA education benefits, regardless of disability status.