When it was first enacted on June 22, 1944, near the end of the Second World War, the GI Bill changed the lives of veterans by giving them many benefits, including a tuition-free education. As the 75th anniversary of the GI bill approaches, this piece of legislation continues to provide opportunity to veterans, including those enrolling at Penn State.
Returning to civilian life can be challenging for veterans. While there are many programs and services aimed at helping them readjust, some veterans do not take advantage of these supportive resources. A Penn State-led research team examined factors that are associated with program non-use among veterans who recently left active duty service.
Penn State has joined 30 other higher education institutions in a commitment to graduating more military veterans as a part of the American Talent Initiative.
“If nothing else, this program shows these vets that they’re not alone, they’re not the only one. And you’re not. You’re not the only one. We’ve gone through this too, and we’ve got your back.”
The Office of Veterans Programs at University Park is looking for University faculty or staff who are veterans, or veterans advocates, to volunteer as mentors for current Penn State student veterans.
A wide array of fellowships and scholarships are available to undergraduate students from nontraditional and diverse backgrounds. These opportunities will be highlighted Jan. 16 to 19 as part of Scholarships for Students from Nontraditional and Diverse Backgrounds Week, sponsored by the University Fellowships Office.
The local community, including State College Borough and Center County, will join Penn State in recognizing the military community during the months of October and November.
The Office of Veterans Programs at Penn State is looking for University faculty or staff who are veterans, or veterans advocates, to volunteer as mentors and/or tutors for current Penn State student veterans. For more information, contact Office of Veterans Programs Outreach Coordinator Mary Fisk at mmf5251@psu.edu or Associate Director Renée Thornton-Roop at rat14@psu.edu.
U.S. service members and veterans graduating May 6-8 at Penn State campuses will don, for the first time, military honor cords with their caps and gowns. The cords will be worn by undergraduate and graduate students who have honorably served, are serving or are commissioned to serve in the U.S. military. The military honor cords program was implemented to recognize students’ service to their country as well as their academic achievements.
Penn State will for the first time recognize graduating students for their academic achievement or military service with honor cords at spring 2016 commencement ceremonies across the University. The academic honor cords and military cords will be provided to eligible students to wear over their graduation gowns during the ceremonies.
Penn State President Eric Barron will discuss resources available to the University’s military veteran and active-duty students during the next episode of WPSU Penn State’s “Higher Education in Focus” at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 on WPSU-TV and WPSU-FM.
Penn State's commitment to military/veteran students is evident through the variety of programs available to current and former service members at the campuses and through World Campus, and has earned many top rankings. This year Penn State will host the third annual meeting of the Big Ten’s Committee for Institutional Cooperation's (CIC) Military and Veterans Services Peer Group to share best practices.
The new website www.veteran.psu.edu provides servicemen and women one place to request information about degree programs at the University. The website also has information about veteran services offered across all Penn State campuses.
Today (Nov. 11) U.S. News and World Report released its Best Colleges for Veterans rankings, citing Penn State's University Park campus as No. 1 among National Universities. U.S. News cited the University's military veterans benefit of priority registration for classes beginning with the spring 2014 semester, as well as the University's Office of Veterans Programs assistance with benefits, enrollment and career services.
Veterans Carl Chindblom and Sergio Santiago both came to Penn State while transitioning from active duty back to civilian life, and they both found a home — and a new calling — by counseling their peers through the Office of Veterans Programs.
