Local private colleges opt in to help veterans

By Stephanie Tavares

Monday, July 20, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Nine Southern Nevada private colleges have joined a government program aimed at making college more affordable for veterans.

The schools have agreed to offer scholarships and grants, to be matched by the Veterans Affairs Department, that will help cover tuition and fees that exceed the amount reimbursed under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. More than 1,100 private colleges across the country and 13 in Nevada have agreed to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Under the GI Bill, veterans are eligible to receive benefits equal to the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition and fees. For amounts exceeding that, colleges in the Yellow Ribbon Program can contribute up to half the cost, and Veterans Affairs will match those contributions.

The program applies only to veterans eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100 percent benefit level. That benefit level is granted to those who served at least 36 months on active duty or served at least 30 continuous days and were discharged due to a service-related injury.

The grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and in many cases will save veterans thousands of dollars.

The Southern Nevada colleges participating in the program are: Apollo College, The Art Institute of Las Vegas, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, ITT Technical Institute, International Academy of Design & Technology, Kaplan College in Las Vegas, Keller Graduate School of Management, Las Vegas College, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, University of Phoenix’s graduate and undergraduate schools and Lesley University’s graduate school.

Each school agrees to provide contributions during the current academic year as long as the student maintains satisfactory progress, conduct and attendance, and to publicly disclose the number and amount of the grants.

For information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program log on to gibill.va.gov.

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Nevada State College in Henderson has immersed five employees in an intensive fellowship program aimed at improving technology-based teaching and communication methods on the campus.

The NSC Technology Fellowship Institute was launched by Provost Lesley DiMare this year to encourage faculty and staff to better understand and use the technology they work with daily.

“We’re really excited about the fact that we could have five great fellows,” said Sam McCool, manager of the Office of Instructional Technology. “They’re marvelous, enthusiastic people. They’ve done everything we’re expecting and more.”

All of the college’s courses have some online or technological element, such as online course chats, Internet-only classes and Web technology used live in the classroom.

The fellows have completed an intensive six week graduate-level technology course and hands-on training before embarking on a major project.

After completing their projects, the fellows will serve as advisers to others in their departments and across the college to improve online coursework, communication and services.

“We’re using it as a way to provide professional development for faculty that supports them in the process of producing new innovative teaching or service sites for students,” McCool said. “We think it can improve retention, achievement and interaction.”

The first fellows are Clairin DeMartini, Roxanne Stansbury, Joyce Marston and Susan Growe, all of the college’s school of education, and NSC library manager Kate Hahn.