Hassan Joins Bipartisan Group of Her Colleagues in Urging Defense Secretary to Restore Education Benefits for National Guard and Reserve Members

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues in urging Defense Secretary Mark Esper to restore full education benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve. The Senators’ letter calls on Secretary Esper to reverse a 2014 Department of Defense decision that undermined National Guard and Reserve service members’ ability to receive the full education benefits to which they are entitled.

“Members of the National Guard and Reserve are crucial to keeping our country safe, and there should be no reason that these brave men and women are unable to receive the full education benefits that they have earned through their service,” Senator Hassan said.

Currently, active duty service members who qualify for Montgomery GI Bill or the “Post 9/11 GI Bill” are able to simultaneously use these benefits with Tuition Assistance. In late 2014, the Department of Defense issued a policy that prohibits similar concurrent usage of the Tuition Assistance program for members of the National Guard and Reserve under the Montgomery GI Bill. The bipartisan group of Senators wrote to the Defense Department to bring parity between active duty and Reserve component service members, ensuring they can utilize both their GI Bill benefits and Federal Tuition Assistance.

In addition to Senator Hassan, the letter was signed by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), John Boozman (R-AR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Robert Casey (D-PA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), James Risch (R-ID), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Michael Rounds (R-SD).

To read the letter, click here.

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