For Daniel Craig, the benefits that started flowing from the new GI Bill this month make a big difference.

He’ll be starting as a Kansas University freshman this fall, recovering from an injury sustained in Baghdad from a roadside bomb.

“The whole reason I’m going to college is because of the new GI Bill,” said Craig, 21, now medically retired from service as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

The new bill, signed by President George W. Bush in 2008, aims to pay tuition, fees and housing for eligible veterans who have served after Sept. 11, 2001.

Craig, originally from St. Joseph, Mo., said working full-time to pay for his education wouldn’t be a likely option for him with his injuries, which include memory loss after suffering a head injury.

Physically, his condition has improved. He no longer has to walk with a cane after suffering injuries to his legs.

Betty Childers, the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying official at KU, said there is an increased interest among veterans in the new benefits offered.

Though many requests have not been processed, Childers said the number of veterans interested in receiving benefits is well above the usual 300.

Childers advises anyone who served after 9/11 to visit the government’s Web page for the bill — gibill.va.gov — to see whether they qualify for benefits.

Many benefits can be transferred to a spouse or child, including getting a higher education.

Felix Zacharias, a KU senior and president of KU’s Collegiate Veterans Association, successfully lobbied for the bill in Washington along with Dan Parker, a former KU student.

“It was not a bad program,” Zacharias, a Marine veteran, said of the old GI Bill, but, “it was no longer up to date with the times.”

Craig said that particularly for injured veterans, having tuition and fees paid directly to the university, along with a housing allowance, opens up new opportunities. He receives about $1,000 per month for housing expenses.

He grateful that he doesn’t have to juggle work, managing his disability and school. Though Craig said he is eager to get a college education, he hasn’t declared a major, choosing instead to see what courses interest him.

While some of Craig’s friends have made remarks implying that perhaps the benefit is too large, Craig said he feels like he’s earned it.

His marriage failed while he was serving abroad, and his life took a dramatic turn when he suffered his injuries.

“If you choose to do that and serve your country, you deserve this benefit more than anybody else,” he said.