FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
MILITARY/VETERANS

What kind of tuition assistance does OLLU provide for service members and veterans?

Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) offers generous financial aid assistance for service members and veterans.

•    As a way to Salute Our Military, OLLU is proud to offer scholarships to active-duty military and their spouses for bachelor's and master's degrees. Active-duty military personnel, who are allowed to receive government tuition assistance of up to $250 per semester hour, will receive a scholarship of approximately $378 per credit hour (the two figures add up to OLLU’s one semester hour rate of $628) from OLLU. This means active-duty military personnel, who receive government tuition assistance, combined with the OLLU scholarship, will not have to pay any out-of-pocket tuition expenses to attend OLLU.

Spouses will receive the same scholarship as the active duty military person, which is $378 per credit hour. However, since OLLU's one semester hour rate is $628, spouses will still be required to pay the remaining $250 (see tuition chart).

Read more about this program online.

•    Tuition Assistance is also available for veterans. For more information, contact Marsha Eldridge, OLLU assistant director of financial aid and VA Coordinator, at mreldridge@lake.ollusa.edu. 


What is the difference between the new Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (also known as Chapter 30) or other education benefit programs? Which should I use?

On May 1, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began accepting applications for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a comprehensive benefits package for individuals who served at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001. One major difference of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is that it can only be used for programs taken at a college or a university. The current GI Bill covers other types of education and training such as certificate programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, flight training and non-college degree courses. 

It is possible that you could be eligible for more than one education benefit program such as the Post-9/11 bill and the Montgomery GI Bill, so it is important that you compare the programs. The VA has set up a Benefit Comparison Chart that can help you determine which benefit program is best for your particular situation. 

Questions to consider include:
•    Which benefit pays you more?
•    What Post-9/11 GI Bill tier are you eligible for?
•    Are you receiving other aid?
•    Will entitlement to that aid change?


The VA site includes other helpful resources to help you determine which bill is best for you, including:

Case Studies Showing Differences Between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty
The VA has helpful information online that will show you the differences between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill–Active Duty based on several different scenarios, including whether you will be attending a public or private university and if you’re eligible for in-state tuition or out-of-state tuition.

Case Studies Showing Differences Between the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Reserve GI Bills
Compare the Post-9/11 GI Bill with programs for reservists including the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP, Chapter 1607).   


What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. The program is voluntary and allows degree-granting institutions in the United States to enter into an agreement with VA to contribute funds to help cover unmet tuition expenses when those expenses exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

Read more about the Yellow Ribbon Program on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site at: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Yellow_ribbon.htm.


Will OLLU participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program?

Even though OLLU is a private institution, we have tuition discounts in place that more than cover the tuition and fee expenses for service members and veterans, so it is not necessary that OLLU apply each year to the Yellow Ribbon Program. Our university’s decision not to participate in the program is by no means an indication that we are not supportive of the program’s goals, but simply, that we already have programs in place that meet and exceed the financial needs of our service member and veteran students. As a result, our students are alleviated from any additional application and certification processes that are required by participants in the Yellow Ribbon program.
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