[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[June 25, 1992]
[Pages 1015-1016]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1015]]

Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation To Establish a 
``GI Bill'' for Children

June 25, 1992
To the Congress of the United States:
    Forty-eight years ago this week, President Franklin Roosevelt signed 
the GI Bill. With the hope of duplicating the success of that historic 
legislation, I am pleased to transmit for your immediate consideration 
and enactment the ``Federal Grants for State and Local `GI Bills' for 
Children.'' This proposal is a crucial component of our efforts to help 
the country achieve the National Education Goals by the year 2000. Also 
transmitted is a section-by-section analysis.
    This legislation would authorize half-a-billion new Federal dollars 
in fiscal year 1993, and additional amounts in later years, to help 
States and communities give $1,000 scholarships to middle- and low-
income children. Families may spend these scholarships at any lawfully 
operating school of their choice--public, private, or religious. The 
result would be to give middle- and low-income families consumer power--
dollars to spend at any school they choose. This is the muscle parents 
need to transform our education system and create the best schools in 
the world for all our children.
    At the close of World War II, the Federal Government created the GI 
Bill giving veterans scholarships to use at any college of their 
choice--public, private, or religious. This consumer power gave veterans 
opportunity, helped to create the best system of colleges and 
universities in the world, and gave America a new generation of leaders. 
Now that the Cold War is over, the Federal Government should help State 
and local governments create GI Bills for children. Under this approach, 
scholarships would be available for middle- and low-income parents to 
use at the elementary or secondary school of their choice.
    This bill will give middle- and low-income families more of the same 
choices available to wealthier families. Through families, it will 
provide new funds at the school site that teachers and principals can 
use to help all children achieve the high educational standards called 
for by the National Education Goals. In addition, the legislation will 
create a marketplace of educational opportunities to help improve all 
schools; engage parents in their children's schooling; and encourage 
creation of other academic programs for children before and after 
school, on weekends, or during school vacations.
    Once this proposal is enacted, any State or locality can apply for 
enough Federal funds to give each child of a middle- or low-income 
family a $1,000 annual scholarship. The governmental unit would have to 
take significant steps to provide a choice of schools to families with 
school children in the area and permit families to spend the $1,000 
Federal scholarships at a wide variety of public and private schools. It 
would have to allow all lawfully operating schools in the area--public, 
private, and religious--to participate if they choose.
    The Secretary of Education would select grantees on the basis of: 
(1) the number and variety of choices made available to families; (2) 
the extent to which the applicant has provided educational choices to 
all children, including children who are not eligible for scholarships; 
(3) the proportion of children who will participate who are from low-
income families; and (4) the applicant's financial support (including 
private support) for the project.
    The maximum family income for eligible children would be determined 
by the grantee, but it could not exceed the higher of the State or 
national median income, adjusted for family size. All eligible children 
in the project area would receive scholarships, as long as sufficient 
funds are available. If all eligible children cannot participate, the 
grantee would provide scholarships to those with the lowest family 
incomes. Students would continue to receive scholarships over the 4-year 
life of a project unless they leave school, move out of the area, or no 
longer meet the income criteria. Up to $500 of each scholarship may be 
used for other academic programs for children before and after school, 
on weekends, or during school

[[Page 1016]]

vacations.
    This bill provides aid to families, not institutions. However, as a 
condition of participating in this program, a school must comply with 
Federal anti-discrimination provisions of: section 601 of title VI of 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race), section 901 of Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972 (gender), and section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (disability).
    Funding is authorized at $500 million in FY 1993, and ``such sums as 
may be necessary'' through FY 2000. The Department of Education would 
conduct a comprehensive evaluation of these demonstration projects. The 
evaluation would assess the impact of the program in such areas as 
educational achievement and parents' involvement in, and satisfaction 
with, their children's education.
    I urge the Congress to take prompt and favorable action on this 
legislation.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
June 25, 1992.