Lesley teams with U.S. government to offer free education to qualifying veterans
Posted June 19, 2009
Lesley University has partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to offer free tuition to qualifying U.S. military veterans.
Made possible by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, through a provision known as the Yellow Ribbon Program, the scholarship is available to servicemen and women who have served at least 36 months active duty since September 11, 2001. Veterans who have served 30 continuous days since 9/11 and were honorably discharged for a service-related injury may also qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
“Lesley University is pleased to offer this opportunity for a free education to the men and women who have served their country, often in very difficult circumstances in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Lesley President Joseph B. Moore said. “Whether veterans are seeking to become teachers, counselors, working artists or to begin school with a solid undergraduate education, we have programs for them and look forward to seeing them at Lesley.”
Veterans who have served at least 90 days active duty since 9/11 may be eligible for other new tuition benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Department of Veterans Affairs also offers a housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies for eligible veterans. Interested veterans should contact the VA at http://www.gibill.va.gov to see if they qualify. The program takes effect August 1, 2009.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill, made law in 2008, offers qualifying veterans tuition and fees equivalent to the most expensive public higher education institution in the state. The Yellow Ribbon Program gives private universities, including Lesley University, the option to provide additional funds, with matching payments from the VA, to make tuition free for qualifying veterans with 36 months of post-9/11 service. Lesley University has committed to full scholarships for the veterans.
“The transition from military to civilian life is challenging for even the most prepared of troops,” said Melissa Janot, Director of Student Administrative Services at Lesley, who has worked previously as an education liaison at Stuttgart and Memmingen Air Force bases in Germany. “Lesley has the resources and know-how to help with that change. Participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program was the right decision to make. This new education benefits program rivals the World War II GI Bill of Rights.”
Prospective students at Lesley’s Cambridge and Boston campuses, online, as well as locations in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tacoma, Washington, may be eligible to receive Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Veterans and servicemen and women interested in the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program should apply through the Department of Veterans Affairs at http://www.gibill.va.gov. To learn more about Lesley University’s schools and programs, visit www.lesley.edu.