With major military installations and affordable public higher education, North Carolina is well-suited to take advantage of the high number of veterans looking to attend college. The federal government has spent more than $30 billion on the post 9-11 GI bill since revamping it four years ago – a number that is likely to increase sharply as more military personnel are discharged.
In an effort to increase veteran enrollment, the UNC System opened an office at Camp Lejeune earlier this year to help GI bill recipients through the application process. The UNC system has also created online tools designed specifically for veterans.
In a committee meeting this morning, the UNC Board of Governors also discussed residency issues. Last year, a military veteran sued the UNC Board of Governors after she says she was denied in-state residency status – and the corresponding lower tuition - at UNC-Pembroke.
Currently, about three percent of students at UNC campuses receive assistance from the GI Bill. About 12 percent of the students at Fayetteville State are on the G-I Bill - that number is only about one percent at UNC-Chapel Hill.