CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Veterans can choose to attend Illinois’ private colleges and universities, even though the Post-9/11 GI Bill limits tuition reimbursement for private education – thanks to the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI), a consortium of independent colleges and universities whose members already enroll more than 650 veterans. ACI has launched the Illinois Veterans Choice Scholarship Fund to help bridge the GI Bill’s $17,500 cap on private college reimbursement and actual college costs. ACI is launching the fund with a $25,000 matching grant from the Council of Independent Colleges. In addition, 17 of 22 member institutions across the state have joined the Veterans Administration’s Yellow Ribbon Program, which makes extra funds available for veterans who choose participating private schools.
“The reality is, between Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and other types of financial aid, most veterans can come close to full funding for private education – but paying for college is a game of inches. Close isn’t good enough,” explains Al Cave, chairman of ACI’s Board of Directors and Assistant General Counsel, Northern Trust Company. “Those last few dollars can make the difference between choosing the college that’s truly right for you and settling for second best. Many veterans hesitate to choose private schools because they’re worried the cap will fall short of the real costs after they add in living expenses, books, and fees for extra activities that can make college truly meaningful.”
Mike Dooley thought public schools were his only option. A veteran of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and 20 months of deployment in Iraq, he took courses at College of DuPage and now majors in journalism at ACI-member North Central College (Naperville). “While I was at the College of DuPage, the only schools I thought about for transferring were the public universities,” says Dooley. “When I found out I could attend a private school, I wanted to go to North Central.” For additional information on Mike Dooley see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IquuLb8G5EI or go to http://northcentralcollege.edu/now/Todays-Student-Veterans-Bring-a-New-Dynamic
The private college option is particularly important for veterans, says ACI Executive Director Jerry Fuller, because private schools provide the nurturing environment these students need. “Veterans are having trouble adjusting to college because they are older and have different life experiences than traditional-age students, and feelings of isolation can compound post-traumatic stress.” In fact, says Fuller, research shows veterans in college are six times more likely to attempt suicide than other students.
“Overall, private colleges have greater success with students of color, low-income, first generation, and non-traditional students; higher graduation rates than public institutions; more faculty-student interaction; and supportive campus communities,” observes Fuller. “It’s critical that veterans have the resources to choose the private college environment.”
Veterans at ACI colleges agree. Ernest Coney, who retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 22 years in California, Puerto Rico, Guam, Japan and Greece, decided to major in business administration at ACI-member McKendree University, in Lebanon, IL. Coney says, “I chose McKendree because it was a small private college with a small town atmosphere.” After U.S. Marine veteran James Davidson transferred from community college to North Central College to study criminal justice, a North Central chemistry professor inspired him to change his major. He now plans a career in chemistry. “This summer, I rode my Harley to the Bonneville Salt Flats to collect about 50 salt samples for a research project I developed,” Davidson explains. “The right college can provide a truly life-changing experience.”
Hundreds of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan now are now studying at ACI member institutions, and more are expected to apply as troops return home. For example, Aurora University (Aurora, IL) counts 77 veterans among 4,000 students; Lewis University (Romeoville, IL) enrolls 100 veterans among 6,500 students; McKendree University (Lebanon, IL) counts 326 veterans and 134 military dependents among 3,200 students; North Central College (Naperville, IL) enrolls 31 veterans among 2,798 students; and University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL) enrolls 45 veterans among 3,552 students.
“Student-veterans bring unique perspectives to college classrooms,” observes Fuller. “They have mastered the rigors of military basic training, put their lives on the line for a cause, and endured the dangers and inconveniences of deployment to a foreign land. They can teach us a lot, and they deserve the benefits of a private college environment, where faculty and administration are prepared to help each individual develop his or her gifts and talents. Large public institutions simply cannot accomplish this goal.”
The Associated Colleges of Illinois hopes to raise a minimum of $75,000 this year for the Illinois Veterans Choice Scholarship Fund. “It’s not a huge amount of money,” acknowledges Cave. “But for hundreds of Illinois’ military veterans, just a few dollars – those last dollars in — could make private higher education an achievable goal.”
CONTACT:
Jackie Meyers-Thompson
773-293-7166
Jerry Fuller
312-415-2391
SOURCE Associated Colleges of Illinois