New Scholarship for U.S. Military, Spouses, and Dependents

Scholarship designed offsets tuition costs to honor those who have served our country, including U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Spouses, and Dependents

CINCINNATI – As part of its ongoing mission to engage, enlighten, and empower adults who seek educational programs that will prepare them for a lifetime of learning and service, Union Institute & University (UI&U), a not-for-profit and regionally accredited university, today announced a scholarship for U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves using their military benefits and Tuition Assistance (TA) to help offset the costs of a college education. The scholarship makes a college degree more attainable to those who are serving our country.

Effective April 30, 2012, enrolled students using their military benefits (Tuition Assistance) in one of the university’s undergraduate programs will pay $250 per credit hour, a discount of 47 percent – more than $200 less than the current credit hour rate of $473. The lower tuition allows for U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve to have their Tuition Assistance benefits fully cover their tuition costs. In addition, eligible spouses and dependents of U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves will pay $350 per credit hour under the new scholarship.

UI&U President Roger H. Sublett, says the decision to lower the tuition was made to serve U.S. service personnel. “For more than 45 years, Union Institute & University has provided quality education for adults through flexible and relevant programs. This scholarship helps those who serve in the military earn their education with as little out of pocket cost to them as possible. We are pleased to provide the scholarship in honor of the time and effort our troops have already paid in service to their country.”

UI&U has recently increased its focus to serve the military by hiring two full-time positions to recruit Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve, as well as veterans. P. Neal Meier, Ph.D., Union’s newly appointed director of Military and Veteran Affairs, is a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who believes that veterans make great employees and students. “In my experience, veterans come to the work place with a sense of discipline, teamwork and get-the-job-done attitude,” Meier said. “Because they have been taught to improvise, adapt and overcome they often bring fresh insight and creativity to their new workplace.”

“Union is the perfect place for our military and veterans to finish their degrees,” Meier says. “We offer a wide array of programs – from Criminal Justice Management to Social Work and more, all through flexible delivery options, including totally online options, small classroom settings, or low residency programs. Also, Union’s liberal transfer policy allows military personnel to earn credit for past college level training, transferring in up to 90 hours towards the undergraduate requirement of 120 credit hours.” Meier continues, “And, our students don’t need to relocate to finish their degrees. We meet them where they are.”

Former U.S. Navy corpsman Vanessa Reinosa, Union’s new military enrollment counselor, is working to make sure that once military personnel enroll in one of Union’s many programs, they get the benefits they deserve. “I love helping service members and veterans obtain their degrees and make use of their benefits,” Reinosa said. “We are proud of our excellent customer service to our veterans. We go above and beyond.”  She had the opposite experience when she continued her own education as a veteran. Essentially, Reinosa was told she was on her own when it came to dealing with her benefits. “I was not helped very much, which is one reason I strive to do as much as I can for the service members and veterans who are interested in Union Institute & University,” she said. “As students, they are mature, they take care of business, and they are built to succeed. They communicate very well and have confidence. When I started in this position we had 17 military students at the Sacramento campus; now we have 70.”

Scholarships are also available for Union’s master’s programs. Veterans who have exhausted their benefits or whose benefits have expired may also qualify for a scholarship that provides up to $3,000 in assistance for UI&U’s bachelor’s and master’s programs.

Union Institute & University is considered by G.I. Jobs to be a Serviceman’s Opportunity College and Military Friendly School. UI&U also participates in the POST 9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program.

The university is currently accepting undergraduate applications for the Spring 2012 trimester beginning April 30. For more information about UI&U’s military and/or veteran scholarships, please contact Neal Meier at 802-828-8837 or email at veterans@myunion.edu.



Union Institute & University is a non-profit, accredited, private university serving motivated adults who seek transformative education and degrees that make a difference. Founded in 9164, Union offers undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees, as well as non-credit and certificate programs. With a high-tech, high touch approach, Union provides an array of options for completing coursework, including accelerated degree completion through low-residency programs that combine distance learning with web-based education, small on-ground classes, and totally online programs, all promoting creative and critical thinking, and connecting scholarship with real-world practice.