Page 3 - 21st Century Defense 100th Anniversary WW1

Advertisement
the Post-9/11 version was

FOREVER GI BILL EXPANDS passed in 2008 to provide
®*
student veterans with 36
EDUCATION BENEFITS months of educational
TO SERVICEMEMBERS benefits covering tuition,

AND VETERANS fees, books, and housing.
The original GI Bill was
signed into law in June
1944 as the Servicemen’s
Readjustment Act to assist
Access to higher education through the GI Bill is in helping them navigate these changes and putting World War II veterans.
®
one of the great benefits of military service, but when them on a path to achieve their educational goals,” According to the U.S.
those benefits change in any way, servicemembers and said Keith Hauk, associate vice president of veterans Department of Veterans
veterans often need help navigating the changes. initiatives and military support. “At UMUC, we serve Affairs, its adoption was so
where they serve. We share their values and their successful that, by 1947,
commitment to service and excellence. That’s what student veterans made Students concentrate on a lecture at Goose Bay, Labrador. Classes were first offered at
makes us such a great fit for servicemembers, up nearly half of all Goose Bay in December 1951.
veterans, and their families.” college admissions.

That specialized knowledge has made all the difference The Forever GI Bill contains 34 new provisions, the specialized support for military and veteran students
to the university’s students, including U.S. Air Force majority of which enhance or expand education benefits doesn’t end there.
veteran Monique Wardrick, who graduated with her for veterans, servicemembers, families, and survivors,
bachelor’s degree in communication studies in 2016. and with its passage, the nation has secured the long- UMUC offers scholarships and a special military
term viability of the Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits. tuition rate to qualifying students, a Veterans
“If not for the awesome advisors that I was blessed Certification Office, and the Vessey Veterans Resource

“At UMUC, we serve where they serve. We share to encounter at UMUC, I wouldn’t be here today,” said The new law’s most significant expansions include Center, named for the late General John W. Vessey
their values and their commitment to service U.S. Air Force veteran Monique Wardrick. “It changed abolishing the current 15-year time limit for new Jr., which provides student veterans and transitioning
and excellence.” my life. It changed what I was able to do in my present servicemembers and those discharged after January 1, servicemembers with timely information essential to
career, and it’s changed the trajectory of what I’m 2013 to “use or lose” their hard-earned GI Bill education making informed decisions as they strive to achieve
Keith Hauk
Associate Vice President going to be able to do.” benefits, giving additional GI Bill resources in the form their academic and career aspirations.
Veterans Initiatives and Military Support of a scholarship to veterans using their benefits to In recognition of the university’s commitment to the
pursue STEM-related degrees, adjusting housing
allowances by using calculations based on the location military, Military Times ranked UMUC the top public
That’s where University of Maryland University College where students attend the majority of their classes university and second overall among online and non-
comes in. The university got its start in 1947 and was instead of the school’s location, and expanding benefits traditional schools for military personnel and
founded specifically to meet the education needs of for both reservists and surviving dependents. veterans for 2019.
servicemembers and veterans returning from World To learn more about UMUC, visit umuc.edu.
War II. Today, UMUC offers online undergraduate and UMUC is committed to helping active-duty
graduate degrees and certificates and has dedicated servicemembers and veterans and their family
military and veterans advisors on hand who have Monique Wardrick speaks to her advisor Rodwell Cole. members work through these changes to get the most
specialized knowledge in areas like education benefits. from their education benefits and earn the degree or
Unanimously passed by Congress and signed into certificate they need to secure their place in the
“In these uncertain times that veterans face with law by President Donald Trump on Aug. 17, 2017, the technology-driven 21st century workforce. And, its
the large-scale changes associated with the Forever Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act,
GI Bill, our 70 years of experience in educating more commonly known as the “Forever GI Bill,” marks
*GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available on the U.S. government GI Bill website
military-affiliated students are especially important the most comprehensive change to the GI Bill since at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

18-MIL-182 Veterans Forever GI Bill Advertorial_R2-1.indd All Pages 10/29/18 3:35 PM