GI Bill

Questions for Further Study

• 1. The GI Bill was a popular program at the time of its passage and in the following decades. How do you account for its popularity, especially since many people are often skeptical of or hostile toward federal programs designed to improve social conditions? Do you think that the GI Bill accomplished its main goals?
• 2. During World War II, some Americans said that veterans deserved special treatment—programs designed expressly for their welfare—when they returned from military service. Others questioned whether the federal government should lavish benefits on soldiers who did not even have to show that they needed the financial aid they were receiving. What do you think are the strongest arguments for each position? Which view do you favor? How does the change from military conscription—a draft—which existed during World War II, to all-volunteer armed forces affect the debate about whether veterans deserve special federal benefits?
• 3. How did the GI Bill affect life in the late 1940s in the area where you live? What effects did it have on nearby colleges or universities? Visit your public or university library and use local newspapers, magazines, or other records to determine the local effects of the GI Bill. If those records are difficult or impossible to secure, visit the website “Transforming Society: The GI Bill Experience at NC State.” Use the online documents to trace the major changes at North Carolina State University. Read an oral history transcript and explain how the GI Bill affected the life of one student who used the legislation's economic benefits to attend college.