Effort to assist veterans' education; Northeastern to invest $2m

Northeastern University announced in early June that it will invest $2 million annually to help military veterans earn college degrees. Through the federal government's new Yellow Ribbon Program, Northeastern's financial commitment will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the Department of Veterans Affairs. School officials anticipate this will allow 162 veterans to attend the university at little or no cost.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, provides veterans who have served at least three years with a four-year college education at any public university. The Department of Veterans Affairs will pay the equivalent of the highest public in-state tuition and fees, and participating private colleges can match the government's contribution. In addition, allowances for housing, books, and supplies are also provided.

Among other private colleges in Massachusetts participating in the program, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, are: Babson College, Amherst College, Emmanuel College, Merrimack College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Mount Ida College, Regis College, Becker College, and Quincy College.

Seamus Harreys, dean of student financial and career services at the university, expects many of the 171 veterans now attending Northeastern to be eligible to participate in the new program. Harreys also said he expects college enrollment to increase dramatically among veterans. "Right now there are about 300,000 eligible veterans [nationwide], and in the coming years it will be double or triple that number," he said.

The Yellow Ribbon program at Northeastern is also open to veterans interested in graduate education. Harreys predicted that about one-third or more of prospective veteran students will be interested in graduate programs.

The program takes effect Aug. 1.

-From “Effort to assist veterans education; Northeastern to invest $2m” By Stewart Bishop, Globe Correspondent, The Boston Globe, June 2, 2009, http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/06/02/northeastern_to_invest_2m_to_assist_veterans/ retrieved 6/2/09.

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