House Passes Kean’s Bill to Expedite Flight Training for Veterans

September 25, 2024

(September 25, 2024) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7323 – Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2024.

Included in this package is the Veterans Flight Training Responsibility Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill led by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) that would expedite the flight training process for veterans by removing the one-year requirement for accessing their GI Bill benefits. Under the current GI Bill, students can access a maximum of $26,000 per academic year for their flight training. Once these funds are exhausted, they must wait until the following academic year to continue their training.

Watch Congressman Kean speak on the House floor in support of the bill HERE.

This bill was introduced by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and is co-led by Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03).

“Veterans should be able to pursue their aviation careers – or any career – without excessive financial burdens and unnecessary delays,” said Congressman Kean. “The current GI bill system needs to be improved and I’m thankful for my House colleagues for passing today’s revised legislation, which included my bill, the Veterans Flight Training Responsibility Act, so veteran students can expedite the flight training process.”

“Every veteran should be able to use their education benefits however they see fit—and we should be making it easier for them to do so,” said Congressman McGarvey. “Our bill would give veterans the flexibility to use their benefits for flight school without breaking the bank, and I’m thrilled to see it pass through the House of Representatives.”

More specifically, this bill would:

Cap the flight training fees and tuition to approximately $115,000 for public flight training institutions.
Allow student veterans to use their GI Bill throughout the whole year, instead of taking time off or paying out of pocket.