New Veteran Scholarship Available Through VA Yellow Ribbon Program
3/16/2009
Lebanon, Ill. — Effective this fall, McKendree University, in partnership with the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will offer a full tuition scholarship to veterans
who qualify and apply under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.
The new initiative, entitled the Yellow Ribbon Program, is a provision of the Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. McKendree has entered into a voluntary
agreement with the VA to fund tuition that exceeds the highest public in-state undergraduate
tuition and fees. McKendree will waive 50 percent, the maximum amount allowed, of
the difference in tuition cost and the VA will match that amount.
The scholarship, called the McKendree Post-9/11 Veteran Award, will be available beginning
Aug. 1. To qualify, a veteran must elect to receive educational benefits under the
Post-9/11 GI Bill® and must have served at least 36 months on active duty beginning
on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or have served at least 30 continuous days and been released
for a service-connected disability.
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, eligible veterans enrolled full-time are entitled to
a tuition benefit, monthly housing allowance, and a $1,000 maximum yearly stipend
for books and supplies.
“McKendree University is pleased to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program by initiating
this new scholarship. We have a long history of serving the military community and
we hope that the McKendree Post-9/11 Veteran Award will enable even greater numbers
of veterans to take advantage of the outstanding programs that we offer,” said Dr.
Christine Bahr, provost and dean of the university.
The new GI Bill® was introduced and sponsored by U.S. Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) and
the Yellow Ribbon provisions were added by Sen. John Warner (R-Va.). For more information
on the Yellow Ribbon Program or other veterans’ benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov.
-McK-
