Post 9/11 Veterans’ Educational Benefits Get High Court Look

The US Supreme Court agreed to consider whether veterans who serve multiple times in the military can take advantage of separate GI bills aimed at providing educational support.

Since World War II, Congress has six times authorized programs to assist veterans with post-service educational expenses.

James Rudisill served in the Army three separate times between 2000 and 2011, and says he’s entitled to take advantage of the two programs. The Montgomery GI Bill is available to those who served between 1985 and 2030, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available for service after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The full US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has exclusive jurisdiction over veterans’ claims, disagreed with Rudsill. It said he only was entitled to take advantage of one, and cited a federal statute that says benefits are capped at 36 months.

The justices will consider whether Rudisill can avoid the limit because he served separate, multiple qualifying periods of service.

The case is Rudisill v. McDonough, U.S., No. 22-888.