Montgomery GI Bill Amendments of 1988

(Measure passed House, amended)

Montgomery GI Bill Amendments of 1988 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to direct the Administrator of Veterans Affairs to make payments to veterans who are entitled to veterans' educational assistance but who have become so physically or mentally handicapped that they are unable to utilize such assistance. Directs the Administrator to make such payments to qualifying veteran's survivors in the event of a veteran's death while on active duty or within six years of such individual's discharge, according to a certain order of priority. Deducts the amount of educational assistance received by the veteran before the enactment of this Act from the amount to be paid to the veteran under this Act.

Provides that a GI Bill participant (a veteran eligible to receive veterans' educational assistance and who has a reduction in monthly basic pay taken in order to receive such educational assistance through the Veterans Administration) who is discharged from the military service for a preexisting medical condition would be entitled to one month of educational assistance for each month of active duty served by the individual. (Under current law, a GI Bill participant discharged under these circumstances is ineligible for any benefits.)

Includes refresher courses, deficiency courses, and certain flight training programs among those programs of education approved for GI Bill participants. Outlines conditions for the approval of such flight training, and defines the amount of educational assistance to be provided as 75 percent of the established charges for tuition and fees for such flight training. Establishes an educational assistance allowance for correspondence courses of 55 percent of established charges.

Provides for a 60-day period of opportunity for service personnel who elected not to participate in the GI Bill program to enroll in such program. Begins such 60-day period on the date 31 days after the enactment of this Act. Outlines the amount of educational assistance to be paid to such newly-enrolled individuals and provides requirements for such individual's enrollment in the program, including a lump sum initial payment into the program and an agreement to have the individual's basic monthly pay reduced by a specified amount. Directs the Secretaries of the military departments concerned to take all necessary steps to inform eligible individuals of the opportunity to enroll in the GI Bill program under this provision.

Permits those individuals training under the GI Bill program for the Selected Reserve to pursue the same types of programs as those approved for active-duty participants in the GI Bill program. Expands such approved programs of study to include training at technical schools, on-the-job training, and graduate school. (Currently, only undergraduate courses at institutions of higher learning are approved for members of the Reserves and National Guard.) Provides the amount of assistance to be provided for such training, reducing such assistance proportionately in any month in which the individual fails to complete at least 120 hours of such training. Reduces the amount of an individual's educational assistance entitlement by the amount of training assistance payments received. Provides for flight and correspondence training assistance payments for the Selected Reserve.

Authorizes payment to an individual pursuing less than half-time training under the Selected Reserve program. (Current law requires such individuals to pursue such education on at least a half-time basis.) Eliminates the requirement under current law that an individual complete 180 days in the Selected Reserve before receiving educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve program.

Makes various technical and conforming amendments relating to educational assistance and eligibility for both veterans' educational assistance and armed forces educational assistance provisions.