Post-9/11 GI Bill Access and Uptake: Insights and Recommendations from Veterans

The Post-9/11 Veterans’ Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (also known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill) (Public Law 110-252) substantially increased the education benefits available to military service members who served after September 10, 2001, but little is known about the outcomes of the Act. An interagency research team merged previously siloed data from multiple government agencies to produce a series of reports analyzing the Post-9/11 GI Bill and its outcomes for veterans. One of these reports, Which Veterans Are Forgoing Their Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits?, leverages these data to present the demographic and military characteristics of veterans who have not yet personally used or transferred their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.¹ This companion brief, based on interviews with veterans who have not yet used or transferred their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, highlights their voices and perspectives on why they have foregone using benefits thus far, and it suggests ways the field might better support Post-9/11 GI Bill use.