Chicago Boosts MBA Scholarships for Military

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business today (March 26) announced that it has increased its scholarship support for U.S. military veterans who qualify for the Yellow Ribbon program.

Beginning in September 2011, Yellow Ribbon awards will be available to all veterans at Chicago Booth who qualify under Veterans Administration (VA) guidelines, the school said.  Previously, only nine of the awards were given each year by the school.

Beginning in the 2011-12 academic year, Chicago Booth will offer $10,000 per year in Yellow Ribbon scholarship support to all veterans who qualify.  The VA will provide up to $10,000 in additional funding.  The Yellow Ribbon awards are in addition to other VA funding available to veterans.

“We are expanding our participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program to accommodate the increased demand from military veterans to enroll in our MBA program,” said Kurt Ahlm, associate dean for student recruitment and admissions for Booth’s full-time MBA program.  “We are delighted to offer this additional support to veterans because they bring a unique depth and maturity to the M.B.A. experience, enriching Chicago Booth and their classmates,” he said.

To qualify for the additional scholarship support veterans must be enrolled at Booth’s Harper Center campus and have served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months.   Veterans also qualify if they were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, or are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran’s service under the eligibility criteria.

More information on the Yellow Ribbon Program is available at http://www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/ch33/yellow_ribbon.htm

Chicago Booth has an armed forces group consisting of students who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces of their respective countries.  The student-led group prepares members for the recruiting process through career coaching, resume workshops and interview preparation.  The group also helps prospective military candidates with the Booth application process and helps build a strong professional network of Booth alumni with previous military experience in order to expand career opportunities.