Somerset Times

Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. and Morgan McGarvey have introduced the Veterans Flight Training Responsibility Act of 2024, a bipartisan bill aimed at streamlining the flight training process for veterans by eliminating the one-year requirement to access their GI Bill benefits.

"Student veterans are going through their GI bill too fast and end up having to pay out of pocket or wait a semester before they use their GI bill the next academic year for flight training," expressed Representative Kean.

Representative McGarvey echoed the sentiment, stating, "We should be making it easier, not harder, for our veterans to use their education benefits however they see fit."

The proposed legislation seeks to alleviate the financial burden and unnecessary delays faced by veterans in pursuing aviation careers. Specifically, the bill would cap flight training fees at $100,000 for public flight training institutions and enable student veterans to utilize their GI Bill throughout the entire year without interruptions or additional expenses.

In support of the bill, Representative McGarvey highlighted the importance of providing flexibility in benefits for veterans attending flight school while safeguarding against exploitative practices. "This legislation makes it easier for veterans to become pilots by creating more flexibility in their benefits to attend flight school while also setting a cap on how much flight schools can charge, ensuring bad actors won’t screw over our vets in the process," he stated.

The bipartisan effort led by Representatives Kean and McGarvey aims to honor the service of veterans by facilitating their access to necessary resources for pursuing aviation careers.