Institutions opening doors wider to veterans with new GI Bill
WITH THE POST-9/11 GI BILL TAKING effect in August, colleges and universities are preparing for an anticipated influx of veterans by creating special services to help with their transition.
Ideas have come from talks with veterans about what they would need, says Jim Selbe, assistant vice president of Lifelong Learning for the American Council on Education. ACE held a summit last summer on barriers veterans face as they transition from the military to college. About 200 higher ed administrators and 50 student veterans attended.
Suggestions from student veterans for aiding this adjustment range from starting peer organizations for fellow vets, to expanding options for campus housing, to putting policies in place that don’t penalize veterans when tuition payments are late due to a delay in receiving funds.
At Saint Leo University (Fla.) and elsewhere, staff get training to stay current on GI bill requirements.
Understanding what vets have gone through is key. For example, Selbe points to Montgomery College (Md.), which participates in “Combat2College,” an innovative program that provides training for faculty and staff. It resulted from a collaborative effort between the college, the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.
Starting an office for handling veterans affairs also helps. Youngstown State University (Ohio) opened an office in January that’s managed by an alumnus who is a Vietnam War veteran. The office assists with smoothing steps for admissions, financial aid, and academic advising. Application and orientation fees for veterans and military students have been waived.
Coordinator Jim Olive estimates he gets 10 calls a day with inquiries. He believes institutions that don’t place a great focus on veterans “are going to miss a great opportunity to educate the next generation.”
Saint Leo University (Fla.) has had an infrastructure in place for educating military students for more than 30 years, says Associate Registrar Lori Lavery-Broda. About 2,700 students per semester are receiving veterans’ benefits. Officials are training employees to be up to speed with the new GI bill requirements.
As of press time, more than 1,000 institutions have signed on to the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, a provision of the post-9/11 bill. The program allows schools to enter into matching agreements with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for tuition and other expenses for eligible students. VA spokesperson Jim Benson says the department projects a 20 to 25 percent increase in participants in its education programs.
A former marine, Selbe says more veterans are seeing they have an opportunity to go to college with these programs. Generally, this group has felt that affording college just isn’t possible. But as more institutions put programs in place to help this population, both enrollment and retention of these students will be not just an option but reality. —Michele Herrmann
Coming and Going Green
WHY WAIT UNTIL STUDENTS ARE ON CAMPUS to begin teaching them how to live in an environmentally sustainable manner? After many students at St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) scored poorly on voluntary green living audits, sustainability coordinator Louise Gava developed a back-to-school shopping guide to help them start their college career in a green way.
“We realized it wasn’t fair to tell them about it after they are here,” explains Macreena Doyle, associate director of university communications. “We should give them guidance ahead of time.” The list includes simple tips, including recommendations to check with your roommate before buying supplies and get an Energy star-rated mini-fridge.
While St. Lawrence freshmen are learning the tricks, upperclassmen are old hands at leaving items in the reuse trailer instead of the dumpster during move-out week. The items are sold at low prices during the next move-in week, offsetting the program’s costs. The three-year-old program has been so popular, a residence hall basement has been converted into the “re-cellar,” open year-round.
“These programs are good for the environment and the wallet,” sums up Doyle. —Ann McClure
