GI Bill

Once the war ended, many veterans returned to a prosperous America. One of the biggest changes made for returning veterans before the war's end was in 1944 with the Servicemen's Readjustment Act. This act, also known as the GI Bill of Rights or GI Bill, was created because of the widespread concern that the employment markets wouldn't be able to take back the 15 million soldiers once the war ended in the Pacific. The solution to this, government decided, would be to send the veterans back to school, paid for by government funding. Upon the soldiers' return, about 8 million of them took up this opportunity with the GI Bill and went back to school. Many went to technical or vocational schools, but there were about 2 million that went to colleges and universities for an even higher education. Schools continued to get more crowded as veterans flooded back into schools. The students and former GI's were able to have their tuition and living expenses covered by the allotted $14.5 billion in tax payer dollars.

In addition to these benefits, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act also allowed for the Veterans' Administration to spend around $16 billion in loans so that the soldiers could buy homes, businesses and farms to get their new beginnings. The bill also covered things such as making Veterans' Hospitals and providing vocational rehabilitation. The veterans also had low-interest mortgage rates available to them. These educational provisions all lasted until about 1956, and the Veteran's Administration offered its last insured loans until around 1962. Later the Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 extended the program to all veterans, even those who served in peacetime.

Overall, this act has been accredited with changing the entire 1940's by raising the educational levels while adding significantly to the construction industry. The GI Bill was a great way for the US to solidify its economy and allow the country to propel itself out of the wartime sorrows.


For more information:
AP chp. 39 pg. 861
History.com

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