The General Assembly unanimously approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Alison Littell McHose that would raise awareness of educational benefits available for veterans to attend college.

More than half of America’s veterans say they have little or no understanding of the benefits available to them, according to a recent McClatchy-Tribune News Service analysis of federal Department of Veterans Affairs survey data.

“A benefit isn’t much of a benefit if veterans don’t know it exists,” McHose, R-Sussex, Warren and Morris, said. “Veterans are often deterred from higher education because they aren’t aware of how the Post-9/11 GI Bill greatly reduces their cost of college. Veterans’ Education Awareness Week will remind us to do a better job helping our heroes take advantage of all the benefits they have earned.”

Veterans’ Education Awareness Week would be the second full week in November, coinciding with Veterans Day to raise awareness of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Operation College Promise (http://www.operationpromiseforservicemembers.com/), a website where New Jersey Veterans can find resources to help them maximize the education benefits they have earned.

The resolution, AJR-25, requests the Governor to issue a proclamation calling on public officials and citizens to observe the week with appropriate activities and programs.

“Helping veterans pay for college is an important part of our country’s long heritage of assisting soldiers return to civilian life,” McHose said. “Our military members have made great sacrifices for us and the least we can do is help them understand what resources are available to them.”
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