The U.S. House and Senate are both introducing legislation today that would allow current Columbia veterans fully covered by the GI Bill to continue attending the University at no cost.
The Senate bill will be introduced by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the House legislation will be introduced by Representative George Miller (R-FL), chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor.
The revised GI Bill, passed last December, caps tuition benefits for veterans at $17,500. While this helps veterans at public universities, it hurts those at private ones like Columbia. Even with the Yellow Ribbon benefits included, Columbia veterans, who had matriculated with the promise of full financial aid and stipends, would end up paying anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 out of their own pockets.
“This legislation will fix this inequity and ensure that our veterans receive the full benefits they were promised and rightly deserve,” Schumer said in a press release. “It will make sure we don’t change the rules in the middle of the game.”
The legislation would guarantee full funding for currently-enrolled student veterans, though not for future ones. The U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University have been lobbying politicians for such a grandfather clause throughout the semester. Over spring break, the group of students met with the offices of Schumer, congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) in Washington D.C.
“I’m ecstatic. It feels like a lot of the hard work has paid off,” said Dan Lagana, a MilVets member and GSSC vice president for finance. “Given how our trip in Washington went and how productive it was ... I would say that I was not too surprised.”
While Lagana had previously told Spectator that the matter was “out of our hands at this point,” this legislation’s momentum is upping the MilVets’ lobbying efforts earlier than they had expected.
“Now we get another chance to show our support to those senators and congressman who are showing us support,” said Jose Robledo, GS and a University senator. “This is a very reciprocal conversation.”
Robledo said that after meeting with members of Congress, he is confident that the House and Senate will support the premise of the legislation.
“It’s not a question of what veterans are entitled to,” Robledo said. “When anyone reneges on a contract, rule of law always says that that’s the wrong way to go.”
One issue that may hinder the legislative process is the need for a conference committee, if the House and Senate bills are different. The main issue threatening the grandfather clause’s passage, however, is funding. Lagana is “cautiously optimistic.”
“There’s got to be a budget compromise,” Lagana said. “We’re asking for an increase in funding when the political and economic climate dictates otherwise.”
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