At the end of World War II, Congress passed the G. I. Bill which

The G. I. bill, officially the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, provided many benefits to veterans of World War II. It established veterans’ hospitals, provided for vocational rehabilitation, made low-interest mortgages available, and granted stipends covering tuition and living expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools. Subsequent legislation extended these benefits to veterans of the Korean War, and the Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 extended them to all who served in the armed forces even in peacetime.