Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have introduced the Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at improving access to GI Bill benefits for veterans who want to pursue apprenticeships.
“Veterans deserve our support in successfully transitioning to civilian life, and I appreciate my colleagues joining this bipartisan, commonsense effort to increase access to apprenticeships. The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act will connect more veterans with in-demand jobs that pay six figures, feed their families, and jumpstart good-paying careers,” said Senator Sheehy.
Senator Slotkin added, “The GI Bill has been a successful engine toward bringing our veterans into the middle class after they serve our nation. And now, it’s time for an update. Our bipartisan bill will knock down barriers that penalize veterans who choose to use these benefits for apprenticeships in the skilled trades, letting veterans choose the career pathway that makes the most sense for them.”
If passed, the bill would allow Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients enrolled in On-the-Job Training (OJT) or Apprenticeship (APP) programs to receive their full monthly housing allowance without reductions every six months or monthly work hour requirements.
Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) are cosponsoring the legislation.
“It’s a perverse incentive to financially discourage veterans from choosing skilled trades, especially at a time when they are in such high demand. The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeships Act corrects this distortion, ensuring veterans across North Dakota can pursue whichever education or job training path best fits their goals and sets them up for success,” said Senator Cramer.
“When our Veterans hang up their uniform, they deserve our full support as they transition back into civilian life, and that includes cutting unnecessary red tape that makes it harder for them to access the benefits they’ve earned. Our bipartisan legislation would support Veterans’ employment by making Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits more widely accessible to Veterans pursuing apprenticeship or on-the-job training, encouraging broader participation in these life-changing programs,” said Senator Duckworth.
According to data from fiscal year 2022, over 97,000 veterans began using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits; however, only about two percent used those benefits for OJT or APP programs. Current rules reduce housing allowances by 20 percent every six months for apprenticeship participants—a structure not applied to traditional four-year university students—and require at least 120 hours of work per month not counting classroom training. These requirements can make apprenticeships less affordable or practical for many veterans.
A review conducted by the Urban Institute in 2021 found significant cost differences between educational paths: attending a four-year college with GI Bill benefits averaged $189,320 per veteran in Washington D.C., while an apprenticeship or OJT program cost about $54,804 per veteran. Expanding access could result in considerable savings if more veterans select these options.
