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Wittenberg: Vets can get free tuition

University to take part in program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer Updated 11:28 PM Thursday, June 4, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — It took Wittenberg University officials about five minutes to decide it wanted to take part in a program that would allow veterans to attend the university for free, Wittenberg’s financial director said.

So at the start of the 2009-10 academic year, Wittenberg and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will split the cost of tuition for Post 9/11 military personnel or their dependents as part of the new Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008.

The Veterans Education Assistance Act pays full tuition for eligible military personnel attending public institutions. For private institutions, the Veterans Affairs Department will match whatever the university agrees to invest in the program, said Randy Green, the university’s director of financial aid.

Wittenberg committed up to $750,000 to pay half of the tuition for up to 50 students, Green said.

Despite the current economic landscape, the university decided participating was the right thing to do, Green said.

“When you think about the commitment these people have made to the military ... all they’ve done. We really need to recognize that,” Green said, “This program is a nice, fairly simple way to do that.”

To be eligible, an individual must have served an aggregate period of active duty of at least 36 months after Sept. 10, 2001, been honorably discharged from active duty after serving at least 30 continuous days since that date or be dependents eligible or Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Military personnel can check their eligibility by visiting gibill.va.gov.

Eligible individuals who would like to enroll in Wittenberg’s fall term, should contact the university’s financial aid office at 327-7321.

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