A new GI Bill that offers veterans more benefits may increase the number of veterans in college.

Passed by Congress earlier this year, the Post 9/11 GI Bill gives veterans more educational benefits compared with the original Montgomery GI Bill. It gives veterans who have completed three or more years of active duty service free tuition and stipends for books and living expenses. If a veteran does not want to use the benefits, he or she can pass them on to a family member.

Chief Yeoman John Hyde of the OU Naval ROTC support staff said he hopes his daughter will be able to attend college because of the new GI bill.

“I am pleased it can be a benefit to her,” he said.

OU officials predict the bill will lead to an increase of veteran students enrolled in the fall 2009 semester.

“My guess is that there will be an increase, but we’re really expecting a ripple effect,” OU Veterans Coordinator Patricia Ingram said. “Community colleges will see the greatest influx in the beginning.”

Ingram said veterans would likely go to community colleges first because of the high admission standards OU has compared to community colleges. OU is prepared for a large influx of students if it happens, she said.

“I think we have been preparing all along,” Ingram said. “We have several buildings under construction right now which gives us more classrooms overall.”

Ingram said veterans may have special needs that OU will need to be able address in order to better serve those students.

“These veterans have done and seen a lot of things that most of us have not,” she said. “We have the Goddard Health Center right here on campus, and we will help them get the resources or referrals that they need.”

Unlike Ingram, some OU officials are more hesitant to say whether or not an increase of students will occur. Matt Hamilton, associate vice president of enrollment and student financial aid services, said while there may be an increase in veterans, demographics suggest something quite different.

“Oklahoma demographics are suggesting that high school graduates over the next few years will be flat to decreasing,” Hamilton said in an e-mail. “The demographics alone do not suggest that our undergraduate population will be growing.”

Even though Hamilton was hesitant to say if there would be a growth of students, he acknowledged that OU would be ready if one was to occur.

“If there was an influx of students, I think OU can accommodate that because we continue to have record-setting graduation classes which allows us to serve slightly larger cohorts of under class students,” Hamilton said.

If an influx of veteran students occurs or not, OU officials are enthusiastic about the new GI Bill and look forward to seeing its effects.

“We’re all just very excited about it,” Ingram said.

Post 9/11 GI Bill

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is a new education benefit program for those who served on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Benefits are payable for training pursued on or after Aug. 1, 2009. Benefits include:

• Cost of tuition and fees not to exceed the most expensive in-state tuition and fees at a public institution of higher education.

• Monthly housing allowance provided that is equal to a basic allowance for housing payable to a soldier classified as E-5 with dependents

• Yearly books and supplies stipend of $1,000 per year

• A one-time payment of $500 paid to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas

SOURCE: Department of Veterans Affairs