Veteran Services

Veterans Affairs is collaborating with academic support services to design a veteran’s first-year experience (FYE) course. The veteran FYE class will provide student veterans with information on various campus resources, help create a support network with other fellow veterans and assist in the transition to student life. Dedicated academic and financial aid advisement, specific to veterans’ needs, has been developed to help student veterans successfully integrate into academic life. All first-year veteran students will be enrolled in the veteran FYE during their first semester at the college.

The office of counseling and wellness provides support for student veterans. For more information please contact Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600, ext. 350 or via email at .

The house of veterans is a partnership with the office of counseling and wellness as well as residence life to provide an on-campus living experience where veteran students with similar needs and life experiences can share and support each other on their academic journey. If you are interested in living on campus and participating in the house of veterans living and learning, please contact Becky Falto Diallo, director of residence life and housing at 718.429.6600 ext. 316 or via email at  or Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600 ext. 350 or via email at .

Vaughn’s veteran organization can identify mentors for freshman students to guide them through the academic year by providing information, identifying resources and connecting them to appropriate offices to obtain their veteran benefits. Mentors will serve in a leadership capacity and serve as a guide to their mentees for the academic year. Mentors will assist their mentees by providing information, identifying resources and connecting them to appropriate offices to obtain their veteran benefits.

The peer mentor application and selection process will begin in the fall of each semester. If you are interested in applying to become a peer mentor or are a freshman veteran student beginning your academic journey at Vaughn College, please contact Stacy Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600 ext. 350 or via email at . for more information.

To enable veteran students to transition their military leadership skills to their student life experience, a veteran student organization was formed. If you are interested in participating in the veteran student organization, please contact Jared Martino, Coordinator of Activities and Engagement at 718.249.6600 ext. 141 or for more information.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an education benefit program that provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. Approved training includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, and vocational/technical training. All training programs must be offered by an institution of higher learning (IHL) and approved for GI Bill benefits. Additionally, tutorial assistance, and licensing and certification test reimbursement are approved under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill.

This Post 9-11 GI Bill will pay eligible individuals:

• Tuition and fees for those attending private or foreign schools is capped at $19,198.31 per academic year. Tuition and fees are paid directly to the College. For more expensive tuition, a program exists that may help to reimburse the difference. Vaughn College participates in the “Yellow Ribbon Program.” Under this program, institutions voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to fund uncovered charges. The VA matches each dollar of unmet charges the institution agrees to contribute, up to the total cost of the tuition and fees.
• A Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) that is equal to the basic allowance for housing (BAH) payable for the zip code of your school to a military E-5 with dependents for students pursuing resident training.
• For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the BAH rate is fixed at $1,429 for 2013.
• An annual books and supplies stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.
• A one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals.

If you are enrolled exclusively in online training, you may only be eligible for half the national average housing allowance. If you are on active duty, you will not receive the housing allowance or books and supplies stipend. The Post-9/11 GI Bill also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill to dependents.

For more information and applications, please call Diaconisa Henriquez at 1.866.6.VAUGHN, extension 124 or email her at   You may also visit the US Department of Veterans Affairs at www.va.gov for additional information.

The GI Bill

This is available to veterans with at least 181 days of continuous active duty service, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before January 1, 1977. Applications are available at the College, all Veteran’s Affairs (VA) offices, active duty stations and American embassies.

 

Tuition Awards for Vietnam Veterans

Eligibility requirements:

1. Residency in New York State on the effective date of entry into service and resumption of residency by September 1, 1987.
2. Service in the US Armed Forces in Indochina between January 1, 1963, and May 7, 1975.
3. Discharge under other than dishonorable conditions.

Awards: Full-time are for up to eight semesters for a four-year program or 10 semesters if the program normally requires five years.

Part-time awards are for students taking six to 11 credits per semester or the equivalent in an approved undergraduate program.

Amount: Full-time awards are $1,000 per semester, or $500 per semester for part-time.

 

Persian Gulf Veterans Tuition Assistance Awards

Eligibility requirements are the same as above for veterans who have served in the US Armed Forces during the hostilities that occurred in the Persian Gulf beginning August 2, 1990.

Veterans Educational Assistance Program

Applications are available at Vaughn College, all VA offices and active duty stations. For more information and applications, please call Diaconisa Henriquez, at 1.866.6.VAUGHN, extension 124 or email her at .