Northwestern Increases Funding for Veteran Education
Jun 1, 2016
EVANSTON, Ill. --- In recognition of National Military Appreciation Month, Northwestern University will make contributions to a number of veterans organizations and institutions. As part of this commitment to veterans, Northwestern also will increase its financial support for the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides funding for military veterans to attend Northwestern, University officials announced today.
Northwestern will provide an additional $100,000 in funding for the program, which will enable more military veterans to enroll in Northwestern's programs.
“Northwestern University has been an active participant in veterans programs, especially the Yellow Ribbon Program, and we are very pleased to add support to many such programs in recognition of Military Appreciation Month,” Provost Daniel Linzer said.
Northwestern currently has a total of 222 veterans enrolled in the University. The largest number of enrolled veterans is in Northwestern’s School of Professional Studies graduate programs (92), followed by the Kellogg School of Management (64) and other graduate programs, including engineering, education, journalism and other schools.
In addition, Northwestern has 43 active duty members of the armed services enrolled, including a Navy SEAL who was on the football team last fall. (These numbers reflect those who self-report as veterans or are receiving veterans benefits that the University knows about. There may be other students who are not receiving benefits and who do not identify themselves as veterans.)
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Northwestern and other participating colleges and universities provide direct financial assistance to military veterans. The program is similar to the GI Bill, which provided federal funding for veterans after World War II.
In addition to the increased funding for the Yellow Ribbon Program, contributions will be made to the United Service Organization (USO) of Illinois, to the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Center (Veterans Administration) in North Chicago and to four national organizations: Team Red, White & Blue; Children of Fallen Patriots; Fisher House Foundation; and Disabled American Veterans. Northwestern also will make a contribution to three Veterans Administration national cemeteries: Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, San Francisco National Cemetery and San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery. A donation also will be made to Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation.
Through its Naval Reserve Officers Training Program, Northwestern has historically had close ties with the U.S. Navy. The program was one of the original six NROTC units established by the Navy in 1926 and has operated continuously since then. Northwestern has educated and graduated officers into the Navy and Marines for nearly 90 years, including Rear Admiral Lisa Franchetti, a 1985 journalism graduate who recently was promoted to commander of U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group 9, based in San Diego.
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