Babson College today announced that it will participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program for all of its degree programs, both undergraduate and graduate. Established by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the Yellow Ribbon Program provides to veterans supplemental education funding, beyond the basic benefits, by matching contributions made by a participating college or university.
“At Babson we are continuing the tradition of welcoming veterans and active duty service personnel into our classrooms,” said Babson President Leonard A. Schlesinger. “We are proud to invest in the nation’s post-9/11 veterans through our commitment to the Yellow Ribbon Program.”
The Yellow Ribbon Program at Babson will provide funding for up to ten students in the 2009-10 academic year. Qualifying students will receive an annual $10,000 Yellow Ribbon Scholarship, $5,000 of which is funded by Babson and matched by $5,000 from the Veterans Administration.
“The 1944 GI Bill of Rights allowed me and many of my classmates who were military veterans of WWII to attend Babson and earn their degree, which launched us into the business world. Post-9/11 veterans would be wise to choose Babson for their business education,” said distinguished alumnus William H. Cruickshank, Class of 1949 and 1999 recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree. Before attending Babson, Cruickshank served with the 10th Mountain Division during WWII. In 1985 he co-founded the International Federation of Mountain Soldiers, which has grown to comprise over 6200 members from eight countries.
Faculty member Larry Carr, Professor of Management Accounting, is a retired Navy captain who served in Vietnam. At Babson he has taught many service personnel enrolled in the MBA program, and says, “those who have served in the military have always been among our better students. I know that post-9/11 veterans will add great strength to the educational community here, and will receive great value through Babson’s Yellow Ribbon Scholarship.”
Interested candidates should apply for admission to Babson College and also apply for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Candidates should send a copy of the VA Certificate of Eligibility to Babson’s VA certifying official in the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible. For more information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill please visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website at www.gibill.va.gov.
The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM), of which Babson is a member, reports 48 member colleges and universities participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, with the capacity to serve nearly 2,500 veterans.
“We are extremely pleased with the number and diversity of independent Massachusetts colleges and universities that have chosen to participate in the inaugural year of the Yellow Ribbon program,” said Richard Doherty, president of AICUM. “This is a terrific higher education opportunity for our most deserving post 9/11 veterans.”
