The federal Department of Veterans Affairs changes mean some vets are entitled to an extra year of college payments — 48 months instead of 36. But that's not eough, say lawyers for James Rudisill, who successfully argued that the VA wrongly shortchanged him.

Approximately 1.04 million veterans may qualify for an extra 12 months of GI Bill education benefits following an update from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in response to a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the change in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in April favoring a veteran who sought benefits under two different GI Bill programs.

Veterans who served multiple times can now get up to 12 months of education benefits. Those who served at least two periods can now receive up to 48 months of GI Bill benefits, instead of the previous six-month limit.

When the GI Bill became law in 1944, veterans returning from World War II received a range of benefits, including help with home loans and higher education and vocation training. While it has undergone many changes,