The Gift
Written by Kenya McCullum
MAE 2011 Volume: 6 Issue: 2 (March)
When Randy Morantes first attended college, he went to a large state university with classes that were held in enormous lecture halls and professors that had little time to connect with students on a personal level. He didn’t feel engaged or inspired as a student, so he soon left school to enlist in the Army.
After five years in the military (where he worked as an unmanned aerial vehicle operator), two deployments to Iraq, and one completed semester at Marlboro University—a private, liberal arts university in Vermont—Morantes admits that his outlook about higher education has changed dramatically.
“My experience with a public education consisted of three to four hundred students in a room listening to a professor lecture,” said the 25-year-old student. “It wasn’t very engaging, so I wanted a smaller classroom environment where I could actually talk to my professors. That’s what drew me to a liberal arts college.”
Morantes credits his ability to attend Marlboro University to the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, more commonly known as the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is part of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Thanks to this program, veterans who might normally not be able to afford the college of their choice—or attend college at all—are given the opportunity to earn their degrees at little or no cost.
The Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program helps bridge the gap between the cost of a state university education and the ability for veterans to attend a private school if they choose. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, veterans are guaranteed the cost of the highest rate of tuition and fees for public universities in their state. If servicemembers want to attend a private college or university, and take advantage of the smaller class sizes and individualized attention that these schools have to offer, the Yellow Ribbon Program makes this choice possible—as well as the option of pursuing a graduate degree.
The program is a joint effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and individual institutions. Participating colleges and universities can pledge up to 50 percent of the difference between their tuition and a veteran’s allocated funds from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the VA will match the school’s contribution.
Since its inception, over 1,000 schools around the country have signed up to be a part of the Yellow Ribbon Program to help students meet their education goals. As students are left with little or no out-ofpocket tuition costs, the program gives them the opportunity to focus on their education without the financial worries.
In addition, students who are eligible for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill receive an annual stipend for $1,000 to pay for books and supplies, and those who have dependents receive a monthly housing allowance.
Eligibility
In order for students to receive benefits through the Yellow Ribbon Program, they must have served at least 36 months of military service after September 10, 2001; received an honorable discharge from the military after serving 30 days subsequent to September 10, 2001; or be a dependent child or spouse of a veteran who falls into one of these categories.
In some cases, a school will only give benefits to students who have 100 percent eligibility based on these criteria. Other schools, however, such as Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, give benefits to veterans who may not be classified as 100 percent eligible for Yellow Ribbon. According to Daniel Rota, the school’s director of veteran’s education and training services center, Robert Morris University is willing to extend benefits to these students through its RMU Military Service Award in order to show its dedication to veterans and respect for the work they have done to protect our country.
“We think everybody deserves something,” said Rota. “If a veteran comes to Robert Morris University, he or she is going to have 100 percent tuition and fees paid—whether it is by the VA, the Yellow Ribbon Program or the Military Service Award.”
Little or No Cost
The Yellow Ribbon Program has been a tremendous benefit for both students and the schools who wish to cater to the military community. The most obvious benefit of the Yellow Ribbon Program is the ability for veterans to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees at little or no cost to them. By removing this financial barrier, a world of choices are opened up for the student—choices that may not have been possible without funding from the Yellow Ribbon program.
“The Yellow Ribbon Program has removed finances as a barrier to enrollment,” said Ginny Newman, assistant director of military education at Pennsylvania State University. “Veteran students don’t have to say, ‘Well, I’d really like to go to college, but I can’t afford it.”
The program has been able to level the playing field for veterans and take that financial barrier out of the equation. Newman added, “This allows these students to say, ‘This is the school I want to go to; they have the program of study that I want, they have the reputation and caliber of education that I want, and I can afford it now because of the combination of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon program.’” Robust Support
Although students like Randy Morantes have all of the military red tape taken care of by their colleges and universities—alleviating their worries about when and how tuition will be paid—those who served with U.S. Navy veteran Andy Person did not have this level of support. Navigating the system was too daunting for some of them to do alone and, as a result, they became discouraged and gave up on their dreams of going to college.
Person, who now works at Mercy College as the director of veterans affairs and the executive director of institutional effectiveness, said that he is dedicated to ensuring that veterans do not forfeit their educational futures because of bureaucratic concerns. The Yellow Ribbon Program is partially responsible for cutting through this red tape, because schools work directly with the VA to arrange tuition payments, which makes attending college a lot easier than it was for Person’s military colleagues. With the support of Yellow Ribbon schools, prospective college students can take advantage of the benefits that they have earned.
“What’s best about being in the military is the feeling that you are serving your country,” said Person. “Even if you’re sweating in the Persian Gulf and missing your family, this is the one thing that gets you through. There is always the higher purpose.” Working in higher education, Person said he also feels a higher purpose. “One of the saddest parts of the military was when I watched my shipmates get out, go back home, and never pursue their college degree,” he added. “They earned the money and benefits and they still didn’t go to college—not because they didn’t want to, but because they didn’t know how to navigate the college admissions system, or they just didn’t think they’d be able to do it.” Enrollment, Credibility, Diversity
Many military-friendly institutions have been able to attract veterans because of the benefits available through Yellow Ribbon. Golden Gate University has been working to recruit members of the military community for years. In order to best serve these students, the school contributes $6,900 per semester toward Yellow Ribbon students’ tuition.
“We’ve always had a tradition of working with the military,” said Louis Riccardi Jr., the school’s director of enrollment services. “For many years, we delivered instruction on military bases throughout California. Those bases have since closed, which led to the end of our programs. We wanted to re-attract these veteran students to Golden Gate University. Because of the Yellow Ribbon Program, we have essentially doubled the enrollment of students who are receiving veteran’s benefits in one year.”
When students attend a prestigious college, they gain credibility in their careers. The Yellow Ribbon Program helps them obtain this prestige and make them attractive candidates to future employers. Likewise, when a school is a part of Yellow Ribbon, it can gain credibility with the military community. Being part of the program tells military families that the school is dedicated to their needs—and welcomes them into the student body.
“The impact of a college degree is lifetime financial and social mobility,” said Person. “The difference between a high school and college degree is a million dollars of earnings during the course of someone’s lifetime. If we can get one veteran through college, whether it’s Mercy College or any accredited college in America, that’s making a difference because they’ve served us—and it’s our job to serve them.”
Part of a students’ learning experience on campus is having a diverse group of colleagues to share ideas with. Students with military backgrounds add a perspective that most traditional civilian students don’t have, and their presence—inside and outside of the classroom—can enrich a school’s community.
“Veteran students spark a lot of good dialogue in the classroom and faculty members like having them in class,” said Connie Beckel, associate registrar at Seton Hill University. “The Yellow Ribbon Program brings another diverse group to our campus—and these students have a lot to bring to the table.” ♦