Posted on Jun 25, 2009

Union is strengthening its commitment to providing financial assistance to students with its recent decision to participate in the GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program. In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the College will fund up to two full-tuition scholarships for eligible individuals each year.

Union students walking to class

This program is new to colleges and universities. Union will allow transfer students to apply for admission until August 1 if they’re interested in attending during the 2009-2010 academic year. Admission to Union is highly competitive, so students need to gain admittance in order to qualify for the benefit at the College.

The Yellow Ribbon Program encourages colleges to partner with the Department of Veteran Affairs, which will help provide funding up to the highest public, in-state, undergraduate tuition. Union will be providing approximately $30,000 of institutional funding per student to help with this initiative.

This program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Veterans who are eligible were on active duty for at least 36 months since Sept. 10, 2001 or served 30 continuous days before being honorably discharged.

An estimated 71 independent colleges and universities in New York have joined this effort to support veterans pursuing higher education opportunities. The participation of private, not-for-profit schools here exceeds that of any other state.

For more information on the Yellow Ribbon Program or transfer admission to Union College, please contact Senior Associate Dean of Admission Vernon Castillo at castillv@union.edu or (518) 388-8719.