This Veterans Day, attendees filled the Waterfront Room at the Hunt Union to honor the courage, integrity and sacrifice of the members of our community who serve in our nation’s armed forces.
Organized by SUNY Oneonta’s Veterans and Military Services, the celebration included a mingle and comments from speakers, including President Alberto Cardelle, Vice President for Student Affairs Tracy P. Johnson, U.S. Representative Josh Riley and New York Army National Guard Private Salihah Hillock who serves as the student president of the new campus club Veterans and Allies Serving Together (VAST.)
Offering affordable tuition for our activity-duty military members aligns with SUNY Oneonta’s commitment to creating a campus environment where every individual feels valued, respected and empowered to thrive.”
Starting this January, President Cardelle announced SUNY Oneonta will be an early adopter of a new SUNY program offering scholarships to active-duty military members, which will bring the cost of tuition down to equal the federal Military Tuition Assistance rate. This means that eligible active-duty members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserves who are enrolled in undergraduate programs will be able to effectively cover their total tuition using their Military benefits.
“SUNY Oneonta is proud to be part of our public university system’s commitment to leading military-inclusive public higher education,” says SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle. “Offering affordable tuition for our activity-duty military members aligns with SUNY Oneonta’s commitment to creating a campus environment where every individual feels valued, respected and empowered to thrive.”
This Veterans Day also provided an opportunity for President Cardelle to formally commit to the 8 Keys to Veterans’ Success, a voluntary initiative through the Departments of Education, Veterans Affairs and Defense.
The 8 keys commitment creates a culture of trust and connectedness across the campus community...
“Our veteran and military-connected students strengthen our communities, and we appreciate and admire their contributions each and every day,” says Dylan Reger, Coordinator of Veteran and Military Initiatives at SUNY Oneonta. “The 8 keys commitment creates a culture of trust and connectedness across the campus community to promote well-being and success for veterans.”
Other resources and benefits available to miliary-connected students include:
- Veteran and Military Connected Student Lounge
- Monday Military Meet-ups
- Free parking
- A dedicated on-campus School Certifying Official (SCO) to certify VA education benefits, mentor, advocate and assist military-connected students transitioning unique challenges to campus life
- Free college application waivers for military-connected students year round
- Participation in the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program to help fund paid internships for SUNY student veterans
- Priority class registration and enrollment