UPB Joins Yellow Ribbon Program

Veterans who have served active duty in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, may be able to attend the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for free or greatly reduced cost thanks to the new Department of Veterans Affairs Post-9/11 GI Bill, which takes effect Aug. 1.

“For those veterans who are eligible, it will allow them to come to Pitt-Bradford and have all their tuition and fees paid for plus a $1,000 book allowance and a generous housing allowance,” said James Baldwin, assistant dean of academic affairs and director of enrollment services. “They will not have to borrow money to finance their education.”

Tim Lawson, for example, is an incoming freshman who served six years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq finding and detonating improvised explosive devices. He can now attend Pitt-Bradford tuition free, working toward a degree in elementary education, using his housing stipend to cover his mortgage and utilities and a $1,000 annual book stipend to pay for his books.

“The GI Bill is going to help out quite a bit,” he said.

Pitt-Bradford will also waive its application fee for veterans and accept some credits from military training and experience.

Unlike previous GI bills, the new version allows Pennsylvania veterans to attend any public college or university for free. Out-of-state veterans will still be able to reap the same benefits through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which will fill the gap between the cost of in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition. The cost of the Yellow Ribbon Program will be split between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Pitt-Bradford.

“The government has finally recognized the commitment and investments that our servicemen and women have made and they’re giving them the opportunity to get an education at public institutions with little or no out-of-pocket costs,” Baldwin said.

Like all Pitt-Bradford students, veterans will be eligible for extra academic assistance from the Academic Success Center and disabled veterans can receive additional assistance from the center’s learning development specialist. Some students may also be eligible for TRiO Student Support Services, which helps first-generation, disabled and other qualified students adjust to and succeed in college.

Those who may be eligible for the new GI bill must have served active duty since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Veterans have 15 years to use their education eligibility. Under some circumstances, they may be able to transfer their eligibility to a spouse or child.

For more information or an eligibility consultation, contact Bob Dilks Jr., director of transfer and nontraditional student recruitment, or visit www.upb.pitt.edu/veterans.aspx.

E-mailed from Kimberly Marcott Weinberg
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

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