Military and Veterans Education Assistance
Designated as a Yellow Ribbon School, a Veteran Friendly School, as well as Military Friendly, Augustana University is committed to assisting veterans in their pursuit of postsecondary education. The University also participates in the Army ROTC and the Air Force ROTC programs for students who are interested in military careers. Veterans and their families can utilize the traditional GI Bill® as well as the Post 911 GI Bill benefits for education at Augustana. The following serves as formulation of policy with regard to these financial assistance programs.
ROTC — Students who enroll in the Reserve Officer Training Corps may qualify for generous scholarships through the ROTC program. Coordination of these benefits with university-offered benefits will be at the discretion of the University. In general, tuition and fee costs covered by ROTC funds will not also be subsidized by Augustana gift assistance. In instances where the student has previously been offered gift assistance by the University, such gift assistance will be limited to the cost of a double room on campus as well as the cost of an on campus meal plan. No Augustana gift assistance will be provided for off-campus living arrangements.
Yellow Ribbon Program — Veterans or their dependents who are declared eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs may apply for the Augustana University Yellow Ribbon program. Veterans or their dependents must qualify at the 100 percent level, with the veteran having served a minimum of 36 months active duty. If the applicant has been previously offered gift assistance by the University, independent of the Yellow Ribbon program, the Yellow Ribbon award will supersede the previous offer. Each year the University reserves the right to renew its Yellow Ribbon agreement with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Eligible veterans and their dependents are accepted into the Augustana Yellow Ribbon program on a first-come, first served basis, pending acceptance for admission to the University. Yellow Ribbon benefits do not apply to summer terms, and may be limited for study abroad.
Veteran 100 Percent Eligibility — For students who are 100 percent eligible for VA benefits (through veteran status or through transfer of benefits), any previous offer of institutional gift aid may be adjusted.
Active Duty Deployment Policy - Military deployment policy guidelines for students ordered to active military duty can be found here.
Complaint Policy for Students Receiving VA Education Benefits - For students receiving VA education benefits, any complaint against the school should be routed through the VA GI Bill Feedback. The VA will then follow up through the appropriate channels to investigate the complaint and resolve it satisfactorily.
The Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-407) was signed into law on December 31, 2018. In compliance with this law, Augustana University allows GI Bill and VR&E beneficiaries (Chapter 33 and Chapter 31 beneficiaries) to attend a course of education or training for up to 90 days from the date the beneficiary provides a certificate of eligibility, or valid VAF 28-1905. This allows a student to attend the course until VA provides payment to the institution. Augustana University will not impose a penalty, or require the beneficiary to borrow additional funds to cover tuition and fees due to late payments from VA.
For more specific information on individual Veteran Education Programs, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs or your unit's Education Office.
For Augustana-specific questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 605.274.5216 or email Emily Studenski.