DePaul rolls out red carpet for returning veterans
November 9, 2009
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Four years in the U.S. Marine Corps that included two combat deployments in Iraq would seem to have prepared Kevin Rushing for just about anything. Yet, he says, readjusting to life as a civilian and as a college student was difficult.
Now a graduate student in the School for New Learning, Rushing says it was a challenge “making the switch from a high operational military tempo that often demands strict conformity to the independent, laid-back atmosphere of a university.”
Rushing also serves as DePaul’s liaison to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In that role, he helps veterans navigate DePaul’s resources and assists them with cutting the red tape with the notoriously cumbersome VA.
“I can be very empathetic because I’m still going through this myself,” says Rushing. “A lot of veterans have lost faith in institutions. There are trust issues, and they wonder why things aren’t happening as quickly as they should. But I try to make our veterans feel welcome and make them aware of resources such as counseling and academic support.”
Student Affairs created the Office of Veterans Affairs last year to help ease the sometimes difficult transition for GIs back into civilian life on a college campus. “DePaul wants to be a veteran-friendly campus by going above and beyond for those who have served their country,” says Cindy Summers, associate vice president of Student Affairs. Going the extra mile for veterans is consistent with DePaul’s Vincentian mission of educating the underserved. Veterans are a diverse population, Summers notes.
“DePaul wants to create a campus that says to veterans: ‘We know you are here, we are glad you are here and we want to help you with the transition,’” says Summers, noting the recent formation of a Veterans Advisory Group for students. “They are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and other places in the world, and we want to get behind them.”
DePaul doesn’t have a headcount of all veterans currently enrolled because previous applications did not ask prospective students if they had served in the military. However, the online application was recently changed. Now, applicants who identify themselves as a veteran or a current member of the military may indicate if they plan to apply for VA benefits. They are also asked which of the GI Bill benefit plans they plan to apply for.
One group of veterans the university knows is enrolling are those participating in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, which covers almost all tuition expenses for veterans who qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at 100 percent of the benefit.
Under the program, DePaul matches the VA’s contribution to cover any outstanding tuition and fees above those covered by the base GI Bill benefit who are eligible at 100 percent, which typically requires 36 months of military service after the 9/11 attacks. Those who suffered a service-related disability and served at least 30 days continuously after 9/11 also are eligible.
Pamela Lee, director of Transfer Admission and the Adult Enrollment Center, says about 80 veterans have enrolled this fall, many under the new Yellow Ribbon program. A former first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Lee is serving as the point person for an accelerated admission process for the returning veterans.
“I can talk their language because I have been through it myself,” Lee says. “Most of our returning veterans have had some college, either at a community college or at the base where they were stationed.” Because of their mobility, veterans may have collected college credits from multiple institutions, which can often complicate the admission and credit articulation process.
She sometimes begins the admission process even before the veteran visits her office, noting that she has communicated by phone or by e-mail to GIs overseas preparing to be discharged and ready to enroll in a college back home. She guides them on the documents they’ll need to present and has helped them gather transcripts from previous schools. “They’re delighted that they can enroll in a private university of DePaul’s caliber.”
The next stop for enrolling veterans is usually with Carol Carter in the Office of Financial Aid, who serves as the VA’s certifying official for DePaul veterans. She works closely with Lee and Rushing. “Pam, Kevin and I work in tandem in our own areas of expertise to welcome and be of service to veterans attending DePaul,” Carter says. “Applying for veteran benefits can be confusing and is often a lengthy bureaucratic process. I am here to assist them in taking the steps necessary to receive the educational benefits they are entitled to.”
Institutions elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program on an annual basis and are not required to commit to participation beyond a one-year period. For the 2009-10 academic year, DePaul is participating with no cap on the number of graduate and undergraduate veterans it will accept. All students must meet existing admission standards for the programs in which they wish to enroll.
For more information about DePaul's Office of Veterans Affairs:
veteransaffairs@depaul.edu
(312) 362-5656
Leadership opportunities for veterans
Sgt. Maj. Ricardo Medina, an instructor in DePaul’s Department of Military Science, says he’s pleased to see a growing number of veterans on a campus where they are made to feel especially welcome.
“The returning veterans have a great deal of military experience, which would enable them to succeed in DePaul’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program (ROTC) program,” Medina says. “If someone is interested in ROTC, the Department of Military Science offers a great opportunity to re-enter the U.S. Army as an officer.” Currently, there are 21 students in DePaul’s ROTC program, first established in 1952.