Staff Sergeant Herbert Ellison explained the G.I. Bill of Rights to Air Force soldiers in Italy. Among other benefits, the legislation provided up to 52 weeks of unemployment insurance; $500 a year for education and training (more than adequate to cover college tuition at the time); and monthly subsistence payments of $50 a month for single veterans and $75 a month for married veterans.
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
The G.I. Bill of Rights Means a Better Way of Life, photograph by Private First Class Johnnie Filecia, ca. 1944
The G.I. Bill of Rights
After its unanimous approval by the House and Senate, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill of Rights into law on June 22, 1944. The act provided returning soldiers with 52 weeks of unemployment insurance; money for post-secondary education and job training; and government-backed, low-interest mortgages and loans in order to ease their transition into civilian life. By 1951 nearly 8 million veterans had received educational and training benefits, and 2.4 million had received loans for homes, farms, and businesses. Subsequent bills passed in 1952, 1966, 1985, and 2008, which extended benefits to millions of veterans of subsequent military engagements.
This measure has for its purpose extending full justice and educational opportunities to the veterans of this war who have defended the Republic with their life and blood.
Representative Karl M. Le Compte of Iowa, Speech to the U.S. House of Representatives, May 12, 1944
Staff Sergeant Herbert Ellison explained the G.I. Bill of Rights to Air Force soldiers in Italy. Among other benefits, the legislation provided up to 52 weeks of unemployment insurance; $500 a year for education and training (more than adequate to cover college tuition at the time); and monthly subsistence payments of $50 a month for single veterans and $75 a month for married veterans.
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
