While students are enthusiastic about a new GI Bill that could potentially increase the number of Iraq War veterans attending AU, some feel the university itself should also strive to make AU more affordable and accessible to veterans.
Designed to make college more affordable for veterans, the new GI Bill will take effect at the beginning of the next school year. Starting in August 2009, this new law will pay post-Sept. 11 veterans amounts equal to the cost of tuition at the most expensive public school in their state, according to military.com, a military resource Web site. This act will provide housing and book stipends.
Veterans can also use this money to ease the burden of private school tuition, according to The New York Times. The new law replaces the outdated benefits of the post-World War II GI Bill, according to the Times.
It is too early to predict the effect these tuition subsidies will have on the number of veterans applying to AU, according to Greg Grauman, AU's acting director of admissions. However, The Times reported there were expectations of a boom of post-Sept. 11 veterans at colleges and universities across the nation.
Brandon Krapf, a junior in the School of International Service and an Iraq veteran, is excited about the benefits the new GI Bill will give to future students in his situation. Krapf served for a year in Iraq before he came to AU, and he said he feels the university lacks any type of support systems for student veterans.
"Right now there's a huge gap between veterans and the school," Krapf said.
Veterans who hope to continue their education typically face more challenges than the average freshman, Krapf said. Krapf was 25 during his first year at AU, which made it intimidating to be surrounded by 18-year-old freshmen who had lived through experiences completely different from his own, he said. In addition, most veterans have other financial obligations that make paying tuition difficult.
AU does not currently offer any scholarships specifically for veterans, Grauman said in an e-mail Thursday.
Under the current GI Bill, Krapf receives monthly sums that are retroactive and only cover tuition for the prior month. This means AU charges him late fees because he cannot pay his tuition in one lump payment, he said.
"Because of this GI Bill, receiving Veterans who served their country and are trying to get an education get charged late fees reaching nearly $100 a month," Krapf said.
The admissions office does not track the number of veterans who apply to AU, according to Grauman. Staff members in the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment said the research office does not keep any statistics regarding the number of veterans enrolled in the university.
Krapf said there are roughly 65 veterans he knows attend AU.
Chris Purvis, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said he would fully support AU making an attempt to assist students who have served.
Karen Megarbane, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business, also said she feels it is necessary that AU offers whatever benefits it can to veterans.
"[Veterans] have done a lot for our country, so it's important that our country do a lot for them," she said.
Megarbane would also like to see more veterans on campus because she feels they would contribute to AU's political atmosphere.
Krapf is currently attempting to unite AU's veterans in a social network through his work as president of the AU chapter of the Student Veterans of America. The first meeting will be in the next few weeks, and Krapf encourages interested veterans to contact him at auvets@gmail.com.
You can reach this staff writer at mkendall@theeagleonline.com.
