The ink on the Post-9/11 GI Bill had barely dried in June 2008 before discussion began about changing the new education benefits package. Arguably the most comprehensive education benefits ever offered to American veterans, more than 550,000 people have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill since it went into effect on Aug. 1, 2009. Still, some veterans were left out of the original law.

That changed on Jan. 4, 2011, when President Barack Obama signed revisions to the bill. Dubbed the GI Bill 2.0, the revisions expanded eligibility for tens of thousands of veterans, increased the range of programs funded by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and simplified tuition and fee payments. The first round of changes took effect Aug. 1, 2011, while the second round is scheduled for Oct. 1.

"I think the great thing about these changes is that it brings a lot more training options under the umbrella of this already robust program," said Keith Wilson, director of Education Service for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "Allowing people to use it for other than getting a degree is a very good thing. I think it also moves us down the road in terms of having a consolidated program under a single GI Bill."