Change in GI Bill Hits Veteran Going to NYU Law School
An Iraq war veteran who was valedictorian of his college class expected the GI Bill and other programs would fully cover his tuition at New York University School of Law.
But Garen Marshall received a rude awakening when he learned he won’t be covered by a grandfather clause in the bill, the Army Times reports. On Aug. 1, the program shifted from state-by-state tuition limits to a national cap that was more restrictive when applied to Marshall, the story explains.
Marshall thought he was covered by the grandfather clause because he enrolled in the law school before the Jan. 4 deadline, while he was still attending Baruch College in New York. He made sure to apply for early acceptance to beat the deadline, even though he knew it could reduce chances of receiving scholarships, the story says.
But Marshall later learned the grandfather clause only protects students who are finishing their education at the same school. As a result, Marshall will receive only $17,500 to cover about $50,000 in annual tuition and fees. The story concludes he has “fallen through a tiny loophole in the Post-9/11 GI Bill.”
