VETERAN PROGRAMS

Veterans Affairs is collaborating with academic support veterans’ services to design a 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 bimonthly support group meetings for student veterans. These meetings are meant to build a network of peer support, and to facilitate transition and healing. To participate in the bimonthly support group, please contact Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600, extension 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, director of residence life and housing, residential life and housing at 718.429.6600, extension 316, or via email at . You can also call Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600, extension 350, or via email at .

The veteran peer-mentoring program will match upper-class veteran students with freshman veteran students to shadow. 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 who is beginning your academic journey at Vaughn College, please contact Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600 extension 350, or via email at . for more information.

Veterans Affairs offers specific programming that recognizes veteran students and provides valuable information. These veteran programs are meant to deepen the level of engagement and connection to the College. Below is a brief list of veteran programs.

• Veteran Resource Fair
• Veteran Guest Speaker Series
• Veteran Student Elections
• Veterans Day at Vaughn

If you would like to participate in any of the listed veteran activities or suggest some additional veteran programming, please contact Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600, extension 350, or via email at .

Vaughn College’s committee of veterans affairs is comprised of staff from various departments within the College who are dedicated to promoting and serving the needs of veteran students. Members of the veteran affairs committee participate in workshops and webinars that focus on bringing a greater understanding to the needs and challenges faced by veteran students on college campuses, and then develop veteran programs and services that address these needs.

To enable veteran students to transition their military leadership skills to student life experience, a veteran student organization was formed. If you are interested in participating in the veteran student organization, please contact Dr. Stacey Dutil, director of counseling and wellness, at 718.429.6600, extension 350, or via email at . for more information.

It’s no wonder so many veterans are drawn to Vaughn to pursue their futureproof degrees―14 percent of them, to be exact. That’s how many veterans are part of the Vaughn community of students. You could be next. Wondering how to pay for college?

As veterans leave their military careers behind them, they return wondering how they can afford to pursue the career goals ahead of them. Veteran programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill® has been the answer for many veterans who are looking to pursue degrees after their military service. Read on to learn how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® can help you:

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 to individuals who have been 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 bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally payable for 15 years following release from active duty. Approved training includes graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as 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 as well as 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 that 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 the desired school to a military E-5 with dependents for students who are pursuing resident training.
• For those attending foreign schools (which do not have 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 is 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 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at www.va.gov for additional information.

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.

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 U.S. Armed Forces in Indochina between January 1, 1963 and May 7, 1975.
3. Discharge under other than dishonorable conditions.

Awards: Full-time awards 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.

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

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 .