Is the GI Bill Enough? An Exploratory Analysis of Student Veteran Borrowing in College

Abstract

In the United States, many student veterans use their GI Bill benefits to help fund their postsecondary education; however, when the GI Bill is not enough, student veterans may turn to grants and loans to subsidize their financial needs. This study examines the degree and extent to which Pell Grants and student loans are being used by student veterans using data pulled from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Baccalaureate and Beyond dataset. We found that Pell Grant awards were higher for student veterans with disabilities as well as Blacks and that a student’s age contributed to the overall amount of federal student loans borrowed. Implications, future directions, and a discussion of the results are provided.