WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Twenty-one higher education institutions in Indiana will receive grants to develop support programs and services for student service members and veterans.

Operation Diploma complements the national Yellow Ribbon program, through which higher education institutions address gaps between GI Bill funding and local tuition.

The grants were awarded through Operation Diploma, an initiative of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University that was launched through a $5.8 million gift from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Operation Diploma assists higher education institutions and student veterans’ organizations across Indiana to better serve student military service members, veterans entering college for the first time and those re-entering college after extended service and deployment.

Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, a professor of child development and family studies at Purdue and director of the institute, said studies have shown that students who have served or are currently serving in the military sometimes feel frustrated, alone and misunderstood when they arrive on campus. These grants will help promote academic success by addressing barriers to higher education for the students.

“The goal of Operation Diploma is to engage institutions of higher learning in a dialogue about creating an environment in this state that is supportive of veterans’ and student service members’ transition from combat to the classroom,” she said. “The new GI bill, which went into effect Aug. 1, is expected to attract more veterans and student service members to campuses across the state and nation. This anticipated influx makes it even more imperative to address the growing needs of this student demographic.”

The Operation Diploma initiative also complements the national Yellow Ribbon program, through which higher education institutions address gaps between GI Bill funding and local tuition.

This is the first grant cycle, and a national review panel awarded more than $270,000 to the following institutions:

• Ball State University
• Harrison College
• Indiana State University
• Indiana University-Bloomington
• Indiana University-East
• Indiana University-Southeast
• Indiana Wesleyan
• Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
• Ivy Tech-Bloomington
• Ivy Tech-Central Indiana
• Ivy Tech-Kokomo
• Ivy Tech-Lafayette
• Ivy Tech-Richmond
• Purdue University-Columbus and Greensburg
• Purdue University-Calumet
• Purdue University-North Central
• Purdue University-West Lafayette
• St. Mary’s College
• St. Mary-of-the-Woods
• University of Evansville
• University of Indianapolis

“Some of these proposed projects also will extend beyond the institutions at which they are based. For example, one university plans to develop a Virtual Veterans’ Center with a benefits decision tree, available to veterans considering attending any Indiana college or university,” said Stacie Hitt, director of Operation Diploma. “Another university also proposes establishing a regional consortium of student veteran-friendly schools to provide more resources and social supports to students.”

More than 7,500 Indiana veterans used GI Bill education benefits in 2008, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Military Family Research Institute is a research and outreach organization based at Purdue. It’s primarily supported by the Lilly Endowment and the Department of Defense.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Military veterans, reserve and active duty military students attending Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus and the Technology Statewide sites can use the Yellow Ribbon Program to help pay for their education.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, an enhancement of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, lowers tuition costs that would not be fully covered by the GI Bill.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, which is an enhancement of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, will be available Aug. 1. The program lowers tuition costs that would not be fully covered by the GI Bill. Assistance will be awarded to the first 50 Purdue undergraduate, graduate or professional students who qualify. Purdue will contribute $2,000 per academic year, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will match that amount.

“Our military students have devoted their time and lives to our country, and this is a great opportunity for universities to invest in these brave men and women,” Purdue President France A. Córdova said. “Purdue will support our veterans and help them obtain their degrees with funds these students do not need to repay.”

The program affects those covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Awards to qualified applicants are on a first-come basis established by the date and time an application is received. Applicants must provide a Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Applicants also must be in good academic standing and be enrolled at least as a part-time student. Other requirements include eligibility for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits at the 100 percent level and admittance as a degree-seeking student with tuition and fee charges above the Veteran Affairs’ maximum in-state undergraduate rate as posted at http://www.gibill.va.gov

For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar at 765-494-7638, regvets@purdue.edu