This Day in History:
FDR Signs the G.I. Bill June 22, 1944 Known officially as the
Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944,
the G.I. Bill was the final reform
of Roosevelt's New Deal. In signing the legislation,
Roosevelt was considering the thousands of members
of the armed forces who would eventually return
home following their service during World War II. The G.I. Bill is well known as providing education
funding for those who have served, including tuition,
living expenses, books and supplies. But it also guarantees access
to unemployment compensation,
as well as low-interest business and home loans. The G.I. Bill transformed American higher education,
which at the time was considered accessible
mostly for the upper class. By 1947, at least half of all of
those enrolled in college were veterans. In 1950, almost 500,000 Americans
graduated from college,
up from 160,000 graduates in 1939.