LC offers GI Bill award
Lynchburg College has created a new Veterans Award, in conjunction with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which will enable all veterans who meet College admissions requirements to attend tuition-free.
The bill, sponsored by U.S. Senator James Webb (D-Va.), was signed into law by President George Bush on June 30, 2008 and will provide tuition assistance to the 1.5 million veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Beginning in August 2009, an eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill veteran may qualify for grant assistance to cover the cost of undergraduate and graduate tuition at Lynchburg College through the increased benefits from the GI Bill and other educational assistance.
Eligibility is based on the final language in the July 1, 2008 federal legislation that defines an eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill veteran, funding sources for the new bill, and an approved participation agreement for matching grant funds through a program known as the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program.
Lynchburg College President Kenneth R. Garren said, "The original GI Bill provided countless opportunities for World War II veterans, including many who graduated from Lynchburg College. We are proud to provide this benefit to a new generation of military men and women who have served their country honorably during difficult times."
Lynchburg College's history was positively and profoundly changed by the GI Bill signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. After World War II, LC was faced with a sudden influx of students, primarily returning veterans taking advantage of the GI Bill. Enrollment doubled, then tripled, and during the 1948-49 session reached a high of 750. Summer school enrollment also exploded from 52 in 1936 to 400 in 1948.
M. Carey Brewer was one of the veterans who went to LC on the GI Bill. He graduated magna cum laude in 1949, went on to earn his Ph.D. from Harvard University, worked in the Kennedy administration, and became Lynchburg College's seventh president, serving form 1964 to 1983.
"Due to our family's modest circumstances, my two brothers and I had not planned to attend college. The GI Bill made it possible for all three of us to graduate from Lynchburg College and go on to highly successful careers. We are eternally grateful," Dr. Brewer said.
For more information about the Post 9/11 GI Bill of rights, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/.
Click here for more information about Lynchburg College's Veterans Award, or contact Michelle Davis, director of financial aid, at 434/544-8229 or davis@lynchburg.edu.
