Kendall Green wears a yellow ribbon

First Yellow Ribbon veteran joins Gallaudet

This fall, Gallaudet welcomed its first Yellow Ribbon veteran into its ranks. Under a new program, aspiring scholars who have recently served in the military and have a disability can join the student body of 1,870, as Gallaudet becomes one of about 1,160 colleges and universities nationwide participating in the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program.

“Historically, Gallaudet has always been a place where veterans who have become deafened as a result of a war-related injury could come to learn new ways to communicate and to be educated in a visually supportive learning environment,” said Provost Stephen Weiner. “Through the Gallaudet experience now, more than ever, veterans can discover their own, individualized way of succeeding as a person who is newly deaf or hard of hearing.”

The Yellow Ribbon Program, which is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, is administered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.). Under this provision, veterans who have sustained a disability connected to their military service are eligible for tuition equivalent to the cost of attending a public university.

On Kendall Green, tuition benefits will give veterans access to more than just classes

“Like all students, they can take advantage of a full array of co-curricular opportunities,” said Dean of Enrollment Management Services Margery Miller. “They can take part in career exploration, internships, mental health support groups, services from the Hearing and Speech Center, athletic programs, leadership roles in student organizations, and international study tours.”

In addition, Gallaudet is working to provide audiological and speech and language services to Yellow Ribbon students and other members of the military who became deaf later in life.

For veterans who do not qualify for Yellow Ribbon support, Gallaudet will extend its own assistance. The University will support up to 25 eligible veterans during an academic year for any major for an amount up to $3,050-about one-third of the regular cost of tuition. Graduate students may receive $2,175 per academic year, or close to one-fifth of the cost of tuition for an advanced degree program.

“We are proud to be a part of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon program,” said President Robert Davila. “Gallaudet is on its way to becoming a recognized leader in educating veterans with war-related injuries.”