St. Scholastica participates in Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans

Eligible veterans can attend The College of St. Scholastica at a significantly reduced cost thanks to the school's participation in the Yellow Ribbon GI Educational Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will pay eligible students' tuition and fees up to a base amount that equals the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition and fees rate. At St. Scholastica, eligible veterans who enroll either as undergraduates can receive up to a $9,000 tuition discount, which will be matched by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In most cases, a veteran can attend St. Scholastica with no out-of-pocket expenses.

"Honoring and assisting military veterans is in keeping with St. Scholastica's Benedictine values," said St. Scholastica President Larry Goodwin. "The Yellow Ribbon Program will allow us to serve our military veteran students better, especially in these tough economic times."

The College has earmarked $1,125,000 in funds to provide tuition discounts for 125 veterans, provided they meet one of the following criteria:

--Served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months.

--Honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.

--Is a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

More than 1,000 colleges and universities have reached agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

For more information about the program, visit: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_info/ch33/yellow_ribbon.htm

To find out more about the Yellow Ribbon Program at St. Scholastica contact Jerah Chadwick at (218) 723-6645 or jchadwic@css.edu.

Military Friendly School Designation

G.I. Jobs, a monthly magazine and Web site catering to military job seekers, has named The College of St. Scholastica as a 2010 Military Friendly School. The designation honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools which are doing the most to support and assist America's veterans as students. This marks the first time that St. Scholastica has been included in the list.

Institutions on the list provide such benefits to student veterans as on-campus veterans programs, credit for service, military spouse programs and more. The list was compiled through extensive research in which G.I. Jobs polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide.

Two years ago St. Scholastica opened its Veterans Resources Center on campus, which serves as a one-stop location for individual advisement and information about programs and services that benefit veterans, guard members, reservists or current military members. The Center is located in Tower Hall, room 2139, on campus.

"As veterans seek to further their education, we are working to make their transition from military to college life as smooth as possible," said Steve Lyons, vice president for student life and dean of students. "These veterans bring maturity and life experiences to the College, which benefits all our students."

For more information about Military Friendly Schools see: www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/mfspr

For information about the College's services for veterans see: www.css.edu/veterans.xml