Not long ago, Brittnee Sellers ’10 was undergoing training as a private first class in the U.S. Army Reserve.
VETERAN STUDENT: Brittnee Sellers ’10 says her experience in the U.S. Army Reserve has complemented her studies at Rochester.Now, the Georgetown, Ky., native is putting some of that experience to use as a student at Rochester, where she is focusing on health and society and psychology.
One of only a handful of students at Rochester who have military service, Sellers may soon be joined by fellow veterans, thanks to some new financial help from the University.
Beginning next fall, qualified veterans will be eligible to receive the Rochester Pledge Scholarship, which would pay for tuition costs not covered by the revised GI Bill or by other federal and state aid.
Under the revised GI Bill, veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible to receive tuition equal to the most expensive in-state undergraduate public college tuition; a monthly housing stipend; and $1,000 a year for books and other supplies. The changes are the first major revisions to the program since 1985.
“The revised GI Bill recognizes that individuals who have sacrificed their time and other opportunities in service deserve access to the best higher education the nation can afford,” says Jonathan Burdick, dean of admissions and financial aid. “The University of Rochester is one of the places where many can excel and train for continuing leadership. The government has done its part, and colleges ought to do their part.”
Burdick says he doesn’t expect a tremendous growth in the number of veterans enrolling at Rochester, but he wants to ensure that financial barriers don’t stand in the way for qualified students.
“We recognize that it’s the right thing to do,” he says.
The scholarship would apply to those attending the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, the Eastman School’s undergraduate program, and the School of Nursing’s RN completion program.
Eligible students must meet the admission requirements of the University. To qualify, veterans must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their aid eligibility. Veterans with less than the 36 months of service needed for the full scholarship will be eligible for scholarships that are pro-rated based on their length of service.
Though Sellers says she would not qualify for a full Pledge Scholarship because she has been in the Army for a only little over a year since Sept. 11, 2007, she calls it an “amazing program” that will help ease the financial burden for many.
“It’s a good way to get veterans into the educational system,” she says.
Sellers took the spring semester off for Army training but returned this fall to Rochester. An operating room specialist known as a 68 Delta with the 1982nd Forward Surgical Team, based out of Niagara Falls, N.Y., she says her military experience has helped her in her studies.
“It certainly gave me insight into the medical field,” Sellers says. “It gives me more depth than I could get in class.”
Sellers, who holds a position on the Students’ Association Appropriations Committee, says her military service also has helped build her confidence.
“The confidence that it leaves you with is useful in college and is extended for the rest of your life,” she says.
The Pledge Scholarship is one of several initiatives the University is planning to help military veterans. Also planned are expanded academic and student services, a special orientation event, apartment-style housing, parking, and priority enrollment.
Jennifer Wedow is an associate editor for University Communications.
