I run a code bootcamp, and I honestly think it's a very good thing that the GI bill doesn't apply to code schools. At least, not until we're controlling for outcomes somehow.
Here's why:
As soon as GI bills (or any federal funding) enter the education space the product and outcomes no longer matter to the most ambitious (/greedy) companies; all you have to do is capture those dollars before someone else. The product doesn't actually matter in a financial sense because you have person A spending person B's money.
I think there's a solution, and the person this article was written about needs to be given a chance, but there needs to be some serious curation. Some online code bootcamps have graduation rates (that's graduation, not even hiring rates) of ~30%. And that's of people who paid $8,000 of their own money. Think what they would be if they were just soaking up GI bill money. Candidly the space is full of garbage schools that don't teach very much already.
Look at for-profit education lead gen for accredited universities and you'll see how quickly the race to the bottom happens. ITT Tech is the most recent example, but there's something messed up about the fact that you can sell a hot swap of a potential student on the phone for $500+. It's just an influx of money that needs to be captured from not-too-discerning spenders, and with no connection to outcome. That's bad for all involved.
Want to hear something else messed up? One of the most lucrative ways to drive those education leads is from "jobs." Post a fake job, turn someone down, then, "Oh it looks like you don't qualify for job x (that may or may not have existed), but you can attend y for free because there are grants/loans available so do that instead." Farm out those leads to a overseas call center that's paid based on how fast they can get people the biggest loans, and profit. It's a federally funded scam and a wasteland of money the poor and uneducated (or taxpayer) are on the hook for, while the companies best at marketing make a killing. I can't even type because I get so mad thinking about it.
So I think GI bills should apply to code schools, but if and only if they meet outcomes x y z. And we're not there yet.
As an aside, if there's a vet (or anyone that can't afford it) that wants to learn to code please reach out to me. We're going to be launching a six month online computer science degree soon that's free up front and a percentage of income only after you get a high-paying job. If you don't get there we fail and we get nothing. It's a lot of "credit" risk for us, and you'll have to pay a percentage back, but it's the best we can do, and it's only fair to align incentives. Email in bio.