{
  "id": "R45205",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R45205",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 584181,
      "date": "2018-05-16",
      "retrieved": "2019-12-20T21:25:34.592166",
      "title": "Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-48)",
      "summary": "Since the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill; P.L. 110-252), Congress has enacted several bills aimed to improve it. Congress\u2019s most recent effort to refine the Post-9/11 GI Bill and respond to stakeholder feedback is the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Colmery Act; P.L. 115-48), enacted on August 16, 2017. The Colmery Act enacted over 30 amendments to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Most provisions become effective on enactment or on August 1, 2018.\nThe Colmery Act is better known as the \u201cForever GI Bill\u201d. One of the prominent provisions of the bill eliminated the Post-9/11 GI Bill delimiting dates (period within which benefits must be used) for some individuals\u2014making the Post-9/11 GI Bill the Forever GI Bill for some. As of enactment, there is no delimiting date for veterans whose last discharge or release from active duty was on or after January 1, 2013; for a spouse using benefits transferred from a veteran who was last discharged or released from active duty service on or after January 1, 2013; or for a Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) recipient who first became eligible on or after January 1, 2013. Other Post-9/11 GI Bill-eligible individuals must use their 36-month entitlement within 15 years of discharge or release, or by a specified age.\nAnother key provision that went into effect upon enactment allows the restoration of GI Bill entitlement for individuals affected by school closures and disapproved programs of education since 2015. This provision was in response to the closure of multiple large, proprietary institutions of higher education, such as those owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (e.g., Heald College) and ITT Educational Services (e.g., ITT Technical Institutes) that disrupted the postsecondary education and career plans of many students. \nOther Post-9/11 GI Bill amendments increase benefit levels for several groups of individuals including, but not limited to, Purple Heart recipients, individuals with at least 6 months of qualifying service but less than 12 months, Fry Scholarship recipients, and reservists on active duty on the first day of a month. Select Post-9/11 GI Bill participants pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math programs that are of longer than average duration may receive an additional nine months of entitlement through the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship (STEM Scholarship). Benefit levels for the Survivors\u2019 and Dependents\u2019 Educational Assistance Program (DEA) also increase, but the months of entitlement are reduced from 45 months to 36 months for individuals who first enroll on or after August 1, 2018.\nThe Colmery Act enacted several provisions intended to improve administration of all of the GI Bills. The VA is now required to use a risk-based approach in conducting oversight of approved programs of education in an effort to ensure they are of a high-quality and meet all statutory provisions. Additionally, school certifying officials will now be required to complete training on their GI Bill administrative responsibilities and are to have access to information to help them advise GI Bill participants.\nIn addition to GI Bill amendments, the Colmery Act authorizes a five-year High Technology Pilot Program. The program is intended to provide GI Bill-eligible veterans the opportunity to enroll in high technology programs of education that are not GI Bill approved, such as coding boot camps. Under the pilot, the VA reimburses education providers with successful outcomes for the cost of tuition and other fees and provides a monthly housing allowance to GI Bill-eligible veterans.\nFinally, the bill requires the VA to reconsider claims for disability compensation based on exposure to mustard gas or lewisite during World War II that had been denied before the date of enactment of the Colmery Act.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
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          "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45205",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4906,
          "name": "Postsecondary Education"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4941,
          "name": "Veterans Education, Employment, & Housing"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Education Policy",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}