Military and Veterans Education Assistance
Designated as a Yellow Ribbon School, a Veteran Friendly School, as well as Military Friendly, Augustana University is committed to assisting veterans in their pursuit of postsecondary education. The University also participates in the Army ROTC and the Air Force ROTC programs for students who are interested in military careers. Veterans and their families can utilize the traditional GI Bill® as well as the Post 911 GI Bill benefits for education at Augustana. The following serves as formulation of policy with regard to these financial assistance programs.
ROTC – Students who enroll in the Reserve Officer Training Corps may qualify for generous scholarships through the ROTC program. Coordination of these benefits with university-offered benefits will be at the discretion of the University. In general, tuition and fee costs covered by ROTC funds will not also be subsidized by Augustana gift assistance. In instances where the student has previously been offered gift assistance by the University, such gift assistance will be limited to the cost of a double room on campus as well as the cost of an on campus meal plan. No Augustana gift assistance will be provided for off-campus living arrangements.
Yellow Ribbon Program – Veterans or their dependents who are declared eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs may apply for the Augustana University Yellow Ribbon program. Veterans or their dependents must qualify at the 100% level, with the veteran having served a minimum of 36 months active duty. If the applicant has been previously offered gift assistance by the University, independent of the Yellow Ribbon program, the Yellow Ribbon award will supersede the previous offer. Each year the University reserves the right to renew its Yellow Ribbon agreement with the Dept. of Veteran Affairs. Eligible Veterans and their dependents are accepted into the Augustana Yellow Ribbon program on a first-come, first served basis, pending acceptance for admission to the University. Yellow Ribbon benefits do not apply to summer terms, and may be limited for study abroad.
Veteran 100% Eligibility – For students who are 100% eligible for VA benefits (through veteran status or through transfer of benefits), any previous offer of institutional gift aid may be adjusted.
For more specific information on individual Veteran Education Programs, please contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs or your unit's Education Office.
For Augustana-specific questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 605.274.5216 or email
Emily Studenski.