GI Bill harms GS

Correction appended

Though we live in the middle of New York City, attend lectures taught by prominent contemporary scholars, and try to stay informed, it’s easy to feel distant from the effects of national legislation.

Therefore, when a piece of legislation seems like it will have real effects on Columbia students, we’re surprised, if not taken aback.

The revised GI Bill is one such law that threatens to impact our lives in tangible and serious ways.

Whereas the post-9/11 GI Bill fully funded veterans’ education at both public and private universities, the new GI bill will fully fund tuition at public universities, but not private ones. Instead, the government will fund up to $17,500 of a private school education, with the remainder to be paid by students themselves.

Columbia has had a uniquely intimate and complex relationship with the military. General Studies, a school within Columbia University, was founded partly out of the need to educate thousands of soldiers returning from World War II. GS’ mission as a school thus reflected the growing presence of military personnel and a commitment to service values.
Though the revised bill threatens to drastically alter GS’ nontraditional mission and history, the most serious consequence will be the disruption of students’ lives.

The 300 veterans (180 of whom attend GS) among us may be hard to spot. They neither march around in uniform nor flaunt medals on their jackets. Though they may be inconspicuous, veterans bring a different perspective to GS and Columbia University as a whole.

Since GS does not offer financial aid, veterans who cannot afford to pay the remaining tuition costs will be forced to take out large loans or leave Columbia, which would be a devastating loss.

The GI Bill revisions also force us to consider differences between Columbia College and GS. If Columbia College stopped granting financial aid to a portion of its students, an uproar would undoubtedly follow, which would probably be appeased by a wealthy donor who would agree to pay for students’ tuition. But no one seems to be drawing attention to the imminent plight of our GS brethren.

Though the U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia are lobbying for a grandfather clause that would allow students who enrolled in college before the post-9/11 GI Bill to continue attending college for free, Columbia students and the administration should be prepared for the worst. We urge students and the administration to come up with ways to retain veterans and thus preserve the diversity of experience among our students that our university prizes so highly.

Correction: "GI Bill Harms GS" misstated the extent of GS's financial aid program. GS offers need- and merit-based financial aid to its students. The editorial also omitted the role the Yellow Ribbon program played in fully funding veterans' tuition. The Yellow Ribbon program, under which the Department of Veterans Affairs matches funding provided by the University, augmented the post-9/11 GI Bill's benefits to pay students' tuition. Spectator regrets the errors.