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If you are a veteran who has served in the military for three or more years since Sept. 11, 2001, you can attend Delaware Valley College for free - and that includes a dorm room if you need one.
While there are several benefits programs in place that pay veterans varying amounts for their education, the 100% funding comes mostly from the Post-9/11 GI Bill and a special supplement called the Yellow Ribbon program. Informally, Yellow Ribbon is the name used for this particular education benefit.
Lucy Drenth, the Certifying Officer for Veterans Affairs, said the veterans have proven to be a great asset to everyone in the college community.
"They are focused and motivated and bring something important into the classroom," she said. "When the younger, traditional students complain about homework, a vet might turn around and say, ‘Hey dude. This is easy. Try changing a tire on an 80,000 pound STRYKER in the hot desert.' "
In December, the college had about 16 Yellow Ribbon students and many more prospects. Any vet from anywhere is eligible.
"We have people from all over the place," Drenth said.
Among them is a single dad from Warminster who is originally from Montana. There's a Marine from Doylestown, an Army vet from Harrisburg and an East Greenville, Pa., woman who enlisted in the Army a week after the 9/11 attack. We also have an Air Force reservist who received her bachelor's degree at DelVal and has been accepted into the MBA program. Also finishing up a degree -- in Computer and Business Information Systems -- is a Navy vet from Hilltown.
The original GI bill was enacted in 1944 and provided vocational training or college education and one year of unemployment benefits for military veterans of WWII. It also offered loans for servicemen and women to buy a home or start a business.
This new bill allows U.S. colleges and universities to contract with the VA to help pay educational costs for military personnel. Schools choosing to work with the VA decide how much they will contribute toward tuition and fees. The VA will match that amount.
But when everything is in place, and if the veteran has three years of service, education is free, Drenth said. "And never before possible, veterans now have the ability to transfer their benefits to spouses or dependents," she added. "This is huge."
The change from the original bill, she said, is "revolutionary" and "long overdue."
Veterans with less than 36 months active duty, on or after Sept. 10, 2001, are still eligible but will receive fewer benefits.
Other criteria apply. Veterans will find all the information they need at www.gibill.va.gov. They also may speak with Drenth at 215-489-2475 or Lucy.Drenth@delval.edu.
"Veterans have been coming to Delaware Valley College for decades," said Drenth. "All degree programs and most certificate programs at DelVal are VA approved, so a veteran has many programs of study from which to choose."
Veterans interested in applying to DelVal should follow standard application procedures through Admissions or the Office of Continuing Education, and then they should contact Drenth.
"The first stop for veterans is the VA website to apply directly to the VA for their education benefits," Drenth said. "Then I'll need the vet's DD-214 (discharge certificate) and the certificate of eligibility that they will receive from the Veterans Administration. I will help them with registration, certify their enrollment with the VA, arrange for academic advising, and connect them with the many different offices here on campus that will help make their transition from military to classroom life as smooth as possible.
"From admission through graduation, I am the veteran's liaison. For all they and their families have done for us, it truly is an honor to serve them."