Welcome news is on the horizon for military veterans seeking to attend Oakland University. The university’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution that grants in-state tuition rates to veteran students who have been honorably discharged, regardless of their residence.
This announcement was made on the heels of Oakland’s “Military Friendly School” distinction. The university has been recognized by G.I. Jobs magazine for four years running, an honor that is reserved for the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide.
“I love the saying that a veteran - whether active duty, discharged, retired, guard or reserve - is someone who at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including his or her life," said Steve Shablin, OU registrar. “Giving veterans the in-state tuition rates is the least we can do in their honor.”
OU’s Office of Veterans Support Services has year-round staff to serve veterans and their dependents, and to direct students to many campus resources including the registrar’s office, financial aid office, Graham Counseling Center and the Pontiac Vet Center.
Recently, the university reinstituted evaluation of veterans’ transcripts based on American Council on Education guidelines, a process that provides transfer credit recommendations to military personnel. Service members can receive credit for courses taken as part of military training.
For the fall 2012 semester, a total of 247 veterans, including 57 dependents, were enrolled in classes, with more than 200 certified to receive Veterans Administration benefits.
In addition, OU is a charter member of the Michigan Educators Veterans Support Consortium and participates in numerous veterans support programs across the state and nation. In 2011, Oakland’s Veteran Transfer Student Services program was recognized with the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admissions Officers Outstanding Transfer Program Award.
For more information about veteran’s benefits, programs, resources and policies at Oakland, contact
veteran@oakland.edu, visit the veterans support services website at
oakland.edu/veterans, or call (248) 370-2010.
