[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Students and faculty were offered a bit of a history lesson Wednesday, as a University of Wisconsin researcher presented on how the GI Bill had an immediate effect on institutions when it was introduced more than 60 years ago.

The GI Bill provides veterans with financial aid to attend a higher education institution following their stint in the military.

Beth Stransky, who serves as project assistant for the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, also talked at the presentation about the lessons that can be learned from the GI Bill.

According to Stransky, the GI Bill's effect in creating a more accessible campus has presented its own set of obstacles.

"We need to understand that improving access creates a host of new challenges," Stransky said, adding that just because a policy is created in Washington, D.C., it could still be the responsibility of "local groups to make it happen."

The GI Bill, introduced in 1945, created a student "explosion," Stransky said, as enrollment rose from 6,500 in 1944 to 20,000 in 1947. Of those 20,000, almost 60 percent were veterans.

Students were provided with $500 per academic year for tuition, supplies and equipment — an amount Stransky said would be enough for a veteran to attend Harvard University.

"It's a real shift in federal involvement in education," she added. "Funds are given directly to veterans — it's a loosely regulated approach."

While the GI Bill improved accessibility for students, it also created challenges for the university, including problems with capacity, faculty shortages and a lack of housing.

But Julie Underwood, dean of the UW School of Education, said the approach Stransky takes is not common when talking about the GI Bill.

"Usually when you think about the GI Bill, you think about its impact on students, not its effect on the institutions," Underwood said. "The GI Bill has had an effect on campus."

Earlier this month, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents recognized veterans.

John Scocos, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, thanked the board for its enthusiastic support of the GI Bill. Scocos said he will work closely with the board to encourage the Wisconsin Legislature to provide the funding support needed to allow veteran tuition remission.

In addition, Scocos said at the meeting he believes a reformed Wisconsin bill is more important than ever because the old federal benefits are not large enough to cover the cost of an education today.