Military Times Staff Report
6:46 p.m. EST December 4, 2014
Two congressmen are sponsoring legislation to give students additional GI Bill benefits if they are working toward degrees in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Students who use the Post-9/11 GI Bill would receive an extra nine months of benefits if they pursue a degree in one of the STEM fields, according to congressional documents and a news release.
Reps. David McKinley, R-W.Va., and Dina Titus, D-Nev., introduced the legislation Wednesday.
The impetus for the bill came from meetings McKinley had with student veterans in West Virginia who discussed the difficulty in completing certain degrees in the 36 months allotted by the GI Bill, according to a release from Titus' office.
Student Veterans of America issued a news release supporting the legislation that said its research indicates student veterans who attended school from 2002 to 2010 gravitated toward degrees in high-growth fields that include STEM jobs.
The legislative session is expected to end next week, making it unlikely the bill will pass by then. It could be reintroduced next session.