Contributed photo
Contributed photo
The Military Spouses Achieving College Education for Survivors Act, introduced in May by U.S. Reps. Tammy Duckworth (D-Dist. 8) and Scott Rigell (R-VA), advanced out of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs this week.
The bill would provide surviving spouses whose husbands or wives have died in the line of duty after Sept. 11, 2001, with the time necessary to use the full 36-month benefit from the Fry Scholarship without fear of it being cut short halfway through their educational pursuits.
"I’m happy that the committee included this common-sense bill to fix a loophole that was truly affecting our earliest (war on terror and Iraq war) surviving spouses,” Duckworth said. “By advancing this legislation out of committee, we move one step closer to ensuring these spouses receive the benefits they earned and deserve. I will continue to fight to ensure that this bill gets a vote on the House floor."
"This good, bipartisan legislation will ensure our military spouses who lost loved ones shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, will be able to use their full educational benefit through the Fry Scholarship without fear of it being cut short halfway through their educational pursuits," Rigell said. "I commend my colleagues on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs for taking quick action on this legislation, and I look forward to seeing it come to the House floor for a vote."
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