WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is making adjustments for nearly 400 soldiers of a Minnesota-based National Guard combat team to make them eligible for additional educational benefits.

Last year, the Army had made corrections to soldiers' orders to make them eligible for full G.I. education benefits. But some soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division sought an increased benefit, known as the "Plus Up" program.
But those soldiers were not able to get the increased benefit for semesters they had attended prior to the Army correcting their records.

The Minnesota congressional delegation, led by Democratic House members Keith Ellison and Tim Walz, urged Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake to fix the problem. In a recent letter to the lawmakers, he agreed to provide the retroactive benefits to the soldiers who had sought them.

Advertisement