Pitt's New Office of Veterans Services Helps Ensure Easier Transition From Combat to Classroom

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh has established a new Office of Veterans Services, a one-stop resource that will assist veterans in receiving their military benefits and becoming successful students. The office is being instituted with the intent to provide a seamless transition from military to student life by offering veterans an expanded array of services, ranging from an orientation tailor-made for them to counselors who have expertise in dealing with veterans' issues.

"The Office of Veterans Services furthers our University's commitment to military veterans who, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, constitute roughly 15 percent of all Western Pennsylvanians, including more than 33,500 residents of Pittsburgh. It will enhance our ability to effectively recruit, retain, educate, and graduate larger numbers of veterans," said Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg. "We also are delighted to be partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program and through it, to be honoring those who have served our country."

Pennsylvania has the largest National Guard contingent abroad as well as the fourth-largest population of veterans. Because the new Post-9/11 GI Bill to take effect this August offers expanded educational benefits, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of veterans seeking an education upon returning to Pennsylvania following their tours of duty, according to Robert F. Pack, Pitt vice provost for academic planning and resource management. Currently, 250 veterans are enrolled at Pitt.

In addition, Pitt is partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program. That program will pay tuition and fees for veterans who are out-of-state or graduate students and who are eligible for the maximum benefit. Under Yellow Ribbon, the VA and Pitt will split the cost of any outstanding tuition above that covered by the benefit. All of Pitt's graduate schools and programs, except dental medicine, are Yellow Ribbon participants as are all of Pitt's undergraduate programs at all five of its campuses. Pitt also is waiving its $45 application fee for all veterans. For additional information on the Yellow Ribbon Program, visit www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Yellow_ribbon.htm

The University also will make an institutional investment in the education of veterans who are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. For out-of-state undergraduate students who receive 70 percent or more of the full educational benefit from the VA, the University will accept the amount allowed by the VA as full payment; for those out-of-state veterans receiving a lesser percentage, the University will issue a grant for the difference between the in- and out-of-state rates.

Pitt's new Office of Veterans Services will provide an administrative single point of entry for the veteran-turned-college-student and will draw upon the strengths of Pitt's schools, colleges, and the departments within them for services and support for veterans. The new office will be housed in Pitt's College of General Studies (CGS), on the fourth floor of the Cathedral of Learning; it will build on CGS' long-standing experience in serving nontraditional students. CGS offers interdisciplinary programs in a variety of liberal arts disciplines and provides the prerequisites students need before applying to programs in other schools, such as Engineering, Business, and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Two Open House events for veterans are scheduled at CGS from 6 to 7:30 p.m. July 15 and 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. July 25.

"Pitt's comprehensive service-oriented program will meet the unique needs of veterans and their families and help them take advantage of all Pitt has to offer-academic advising, counseling, on-campus support, and career services," says Kelly Otter, associate dean of CGS. "Veterans will attend an orientation program designed just for them and get help in developing peer-support networks. Our goal is to develop a more cohesive veterans community on campus."

The Office of Veterans Services has a new Web portal-www.veterans.pitt.edu-that is accessible through Pitt's home page and links to online applications and useful information from the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

The Office of Veterans Services will have a new full-time director this summer, who will work across campus to coordinate student support services of particular interest to veterans. The director will assist with outreach to military installations, the National Guard offices, and such organizations as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, AMVETS, and the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, as well as the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, which comprises a major medical facility, a behavioral health facility, a community living center, and a veterans recovery center, all complemented by five community-based outpatient clinics.

Pitt has two major ROTC units on its Pittsburgh campus-Three Rivers Battalion Army and Detachment 730 Air Force-and will rely heavily on those units for counseling and mentoring of the new students.

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7/6/09/tmw