A2 YELLOW RIBBON : Recruiting and Serving Veteran Populations Using Chapter 33 Military Benefits

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1 A2 YELLOW RIBBON : Recruiting and Serving Veteran Populations Using Chapter 33 Military Benefits George H. Walls, Capitol College Director of Admissions, Laurel Maryland Mark Sifford, Project Director Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, Washington DC

2 YELLOW RIBBON Examine who the veteran population is in regard to the new GI bill. Outline the basic parameters of the new Chapter 33 benefit. Discuss the details of joining the Yellow Ribbon Program. What does it mean to be Military Friendly.

3 Who is the veteran student population? Current military in search of part time and/or distance learning options Reserve and National Guard in search of full or part-time enrollment Separated veterans in search of full time undergraduate and graduate programs Eligible veteran family members making use of G.I. Bill benefits

4 Who is the veteran student population? Attributes and Qualities Motivated and focused Excellent time management skills Trained leaders Fully funded and supported for all 4 years Hard work ethic Diverse and experienced

5 Who is the veteran student population? Reasons you want them They are excellent seeds of improvement among any student body Travel and exposure to share with you student body Far more likely to retain, succeed and graduate Fully funded

6 What is the G.I. Bill & Chapter 33 Benefit? History The new Chapter 33 is an improvement upon the Montgomery G.I. Bill set into law to insure that post 9/11 veteran populations can achieve college at no cost. There is increased funding, broader flexibility as to who and how it may be used and enhanced support mechanisms to insure success. There are THOUSANDS of current and separated military that are in search of military friendly and Yellow Ribbon institutions in which to enroll.

7 What is the G.I. Bill & Chapter 33 Benefit? Who Qualifies? In general, individuals will remain eligible for benefits for 15 years from: Date of last discharge; or release from active duty of at least 90 continuous days. Individuals will generally receive 36 months of benefits. Individuals are limited to 48 months of combined benefits under educational assistance programs administered by VA. NOTE: Individuals transferring to the Post-9/11 GI Bill from the Montgomery GI Bill (chapter 30) will be limited to the amount of remaining chapter 30 entitlement.

8 What is the Yellow Ribbon Program? History Effective August 1, 2011 the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay: all public school in-state tuition and fees or up to $17,500 annually for a private school. Institutions voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition costs above the highest in-state undergraduate tuition rate. VA will match each additional dollar that an institution contributes toward an eligible student s tuition costs, up to 50 percent of the difference between the student s tuition benefit and the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees.

9 What is the Yellow Ribbon Program? Institutional Commitment Example: The student enrolled in 12 credit hours during the Fall term and the institution charged the student $5,000 for tuition and $1,200 in fees. The Maximum Charge Per Credit Hour for the State = $250 and the Maximum Fees for a single term = $1,000:

10 What is the Yellow Ribbon Program? Qualifications 12 credit hours x $250 = $3,000 - VA will pay $3,000 of the $5,000 tuition charged. VA will pay $1,000 of the $1,200 fees charged. VA has paid $4,000 of the $6,200 charged the student. $2,200 could be applied to the Yellow Ribbon Program Your institution can choose to contribute up to $1,100 of this amount and VA will match that contribution.

11 How to reach out to potential Veteran students History Once the institutional decision has been made to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and/or become a military friendly campus, the next challenge will be how to connect with the veteran population and begin recruiting RECRUITS! Unlike traditional high school prospects, or even traditional transfer student populations, there is not yet a singular clearing house to purchase leads. There are also very few, if any college fairs targeted at potential military.

12 How to reach out to potential Veteran students The Department of Veterans Affairs began posting Yellow Ribbon Program information beginning in fall This state by state interactive map will allow all active duty, veteran, reserve, national guard and eligible beneficiaries to search for schools in their area.

13 WHAT IS MILITARY FRIENDLY? An institution that has adjusted their admissions policy to accommodate veteran and current military applications. Has offices and officers that are trained and dedicated to serving veterans both in process and in attendance. Cultivates a campus culture that encourages veteran engagement and contribution.

14 Becoming Military Friendly Evaluation and Enrollment Many military applicants will come to you with the same GPA and test scores they left high school with many years before. Remember that a good number of enlisted men and women chose military service due to lack of financial resources, academic preparedness or maturity needed to succeed in college. Adjustments to your evaluation processes will need to be instituted in order to properly assess the true merit of this population.

15 WHO THEY ARE Experienced Motivated Disciplined Confident Heroic Mature

16 WHO YOU SEE! C+ Student Low/or no SATs Old Transcripts Once DENIED Ghost Applicant WEIRD!

17 DD-214?? Where they ve been What they ve done What they know How they served

18 Becoming Military Friendly Evaluation and Enrollment Military training can be evaluated by ACE (American Council on Education) who publishes guides for each branch of service for transfer credit evaluation. Link: MilitaryPrograms/Transfer_Guide.htm

19 How to reach potential Veteran students ESO and Education Center Information Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) PACE WE CARE Council of College and Military Educators (CCME)

20 QUESTIONS?