Ohio Schools Prep for No-Cost College Education Program for Vets
Last summer Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland offered American military
veterans worldwide a no-cost education at any of Ohio’s public
colleges. The state has just now finished tallying its number of
veteran students in preparation for the program’s Aug. 1, 2009 start
date, the same day the new GI Bill goes into effect, reports The
Columbus Dispatch (“Colleges Put Out Welcome Mat for Vets,” May 13,
2009).
Currently about 10,600 veterans and their family members take
classes at Ohio institutions, including about 850 veterans at Ohio
State University.
But about 57,000 veterans residing in Ohio who have served in the
ongoing Gulf wars will be able to receive benefits under the
expanded GI Bill, which covers the cost of in-state tuition at the
most expensive public college, a small housing stipend, and $1,000
annually for books.
Veterans may also take advantage of the Ohio GI Promise initiated by
Gov. Strickland, which extends in-state benefits, including tuition
costs, to out-of-state veterans and their families as part of the
state’s effort to eliminate brain drain.
Creators of the Ohio GI Promise program are hoping that the
combination of their program with the new GI Bill benefits will
attract 230,000 students to the state by 2017.
Programs Expand to Accommodate Anticipated Veteran Enrollment
When the new GI Bill goes into effect this August, Ohio State alone
estimates an additional 300 to 400 students will enroll. To
accommodate the projected hike in veteran enrollments under the new
GI Bill, the school is analyzing what services it currently offers
and how its programs can be expanded to meet the needs of these
students.
Veterans will be able to participate in counseling, healthcare, and
mentoring opportunities as well as attend monthly meetings with
other veterans for encouragement and support through Ohio State. The
school will offer veterans-only general education classes that
facilitate the return of former military members back to civilian
life.
Columbus State Community College has also instated a service that
puts veterans in touch with counseling, housing, and financial
services.
If a large number of veterans choose to remain in Ohio following
graduation, Ohio leaders believe that a higher number of skilled
workers will repopulate sections of the state that have been
depopulated because of military campaigns in the Gulf.
“We see it as a magnet,” said Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric
Fingerhut, “to lure veterans to come and build a life in Ohio.”