Education: Beginning of the End

For two years past, the flight jackets and faded khaki have been growing scarcer on the nation's campuses. This week, a final contingent of World War II veterans rushed to register for courses, but by Wednesday, the cut-off date, it was all over. For most of the veterans, it is now too late to begin further schooling under the G.I. Bill of Rights.

In seven years of the G.I. bill, the U.S. spent almost $14 billion on the most ambitious educational experiment in its history. More than 8,000,000 veterans drew $9.7 billion in subsistence, and spent another $4 billion on tuition, equipment...