Budzinski’s Bipartisan Veteran STEM Scholarship Access Bill Passes Committee 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that her bipartisan Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act has passed unanimously in the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Budzinski introduced the legislation earlier this year after a study conducted by the Wounded Warrior Project recently found employment and financial wellness to be significant challenges facing women veterans in the United States. Budzinski’s bill would reform the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program to help more veterans pursue good-paying careers in science, health care and technology. 

“When folks put their lives on the line to serve our country, they deserve our support to find a good paying job when they return home,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Today, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee advanced my bipartisan legislation that will help make it easier for our nation’s heroes to pursue careers in science, health care and technology. This bill is critical to filling high-demand jobs and combating the financial obstacles too many of our nation’s veterans face when they leave active duty service.” 

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act reforms the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship to eliminate burdensome requirements and make existing scholarships more accessible. This would be accomplished by changing the minimum number of credit hours required to apply from 60 to 45, removing the requirement that applicants must have exhausted their Post 9-11/GI Bill benefits or will run out of their benefits within 6 months and improves oversight of the program by requiring the VA to submit an annual report to Congress on the demographic information of veterans who are denied the scholarship. These crucial changes will allow more student veterans to apply for and benefit from the scholarship.

The legislation has been endorsed by the Wounded Warrior Project, the Student Veterans of America, the Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, the American Legion and Military-Veterans Advocacy.

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