Southern Polytechnic State University and High Museum of Art Form a Unique Alliance

/PRNewswire/ -- Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) has established a unique affiliation with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta that will give students and faculty access to the museum's exhibitions, collections and programs.

"I'm happy to note that we are the first University System of Georgia institution to have such an affiliation," said Dr. Zvi Szafran, vice president for academic affairs.

He cited the following benefits to the university:

* Faculty members will be able to take their classes on field trips to the museum at no cost to the students or faculty members.
* Students can visit the High Museum of Art free of charge at any time by showing their SPSU ID; faculty members will receive a discount with ID on daily tickets and on individual, dual or family memberships.
* The museum will conduct two SPSU campus lectures or programs per year at SPSU and will provide faculty members and students with access to visiting artists and scholars.
* The museum will provide internships in Collections and Exhibitions, Education, Marketing and Communications, or Advancement for up to two undergraduate students per year (one per semester).
* The museum will host an SPSU event each year. The first one will take place on June 8, when participants of the Polytechnic Summit will tour the "Modern by Design" exhibition of work from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) just days after it opens at the High Museum of Art.


"This partnership truly allows for the integration of the visual arts into the educational curriculum of SPSU," added Dr. Szafran.

Aside from gaining interns, the museum will also benefit in another way from the expertise available at SPSU. A few select students in SPSU's mechatronics program with training in robotics are assisting with the installation and maintenance of one of the pieces in the MoMA exhibition. "Digital Matter" is a major work of art by iconic Dutch designer Joris Laarman. This kinetic installation features a robot that will construct, disassemble and reconstruct a piece of furniture over an extended period of time.

"Our affiliation with the High Museum of Art is a win-win," said Dr. Szafran. "Both institutions benefit from each others' unique strengths. We're expecting that many interesting collaborations will result from this alliance.

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Deal signs Enduring HOPE

Joined by a bipartisan group of legislators, Gov. Nathan Deal today (March 15) signed the Enduring HOPE legislation.

“With today’s signing, we have closed a $300 million shortfall in the next year, we have pulled HOPE and Georgia Pre-K from the brink of bankruptcy and we have preserved our state’s elite status for having the most generous benefit programs in the nation,” said Deal. “Georgians are blessed to have legislative leaders who put aside politics to craft a new law of generational importance.”



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Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Offers Exceptional New Education Benefits

/PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill went into effect, changing and expanding the education benefits available to veterans who have served since September 10, 2001. As Veteran's Day approaches, U.S. News University Directory encourages those who qualify to take advantage of this program - none are more worthy of an opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Veterans who have an honorable discharge and at least 90 days of aggregate service since September 10, 2001 can qualify for:

-- Up to 100% of tuition and fee costs, depending on length of service
-- A monthly housing allowance*
-- A books and supplies stipend*
-- College fund (or "kicker" payment), depending on rate of pursuit
-- Rural benefit payment, depending on residence

Furthermore, tuition and fee payments are made by the government directly to the veteran's college or university. This is generally considered a big improvement over the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which required the student to pay tuition up front and then receive reimbursement at a later date.

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill covers associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees, but all training programs must be offered by a degree-granting institution of higher learning. This means that some vocational, technical and preparatory programs do not qualify. However, other G.I. education benefits (such as the Montgomery G.I. Bill) do cover programs not offered by degree-granting institutions, and veterans who are eligible for these and the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and can make a choice of which to receive. It is important to note that once this choice is made, it cannot be changed.

The Yellow Ribbon Program

Government tuition and fee payment in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is capped at the rate charged by the most expensive undergraduate public institution in the veteran's state of residence. This means that post-9/11 veterans attending graduate school, an out-of-state school or a private college will probably not have all of their tuition covered by their benefits.

The Yellow Ribbon Program - officially known as the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program - is a provision of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill that allows degree-granting colleges and universities to help veterans pay tuition costs exceeding the usual cap. Under this arrangement, educational institutions can volunteer to pay up to 50% of the additional tuition and fees, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will match them dollar-for-dollar. So attending a private or out-of-state school that participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program means up to 100% of the tuition can be covered, even though that tuition is greater than the cap set by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Not all veterans are eligible. Only those who are entitled to the maximum G.I. Bill benefit rate qualify, which means that:

-- They must have served an aggregate period of active duty after
September 10th, 2001 of at least 36 months

-- Or they must have been honorably discharged from active duty for a
service-connected disability and have served 30 continuous days after
September 10th, 2001

Dependents of a veteran can be eligible for a Transfer of Entitlement if the veteran's service meets the criteria listed above.

Of course, not all colleges and universities participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. When deciding on where they want to apply, eligible veterans should research both the U.S. News University Directory sponsor schools that are taking part as well as the complete list of participating institutions.

*Active duty military personnel are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance or books and supplies stipend.

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Understanding The New Veterans Educational Assistance Act

(NAPSI)-For individuals who served on active military duty on or after September 11, 2001, a new piece of legislation can help further education goals-or perhaps create new ones.

The Post−9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, also known as the Post−9/11 GI Bill, provides veterans with financial benefits for any approved program offered by a school that is authorized to grant an associate (or higher) degree.

These questions may help shed light on the subject for people who have recently served or are currently serving in the military, as well as their families:

Q. Am I eligible?

A. You may be eligible if you served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty after September 10, 2001.

You may also be eligible if you were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.

Q. When can I receive benefits under the Bill?

A. Post−9/11 GI Bill benefits are payable for training that begins on or after August 1, 2009. No payments can be made under this program for training pursued before that date.

Q. How much will I receive?

A. Based on your length of active-duty service, you may be entitled to a percentage of the following:

4 Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive instate undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education;

4 Monthly housing allowance equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents. The amount of the housing allowance is based on the ZIP code of the school and is not payable to individuals training at half-time or less or attending distance learning;

4 Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year (paid to you); and

4 A one-time payment of $500 paid to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.

Q. How many months of assistance can I receive?

A. Generally, you may receive up to 36 months of benefits under the Post−9/11 GI Bill.

Q. How long am I eligible?

A. You will be eligible for benefits for 15 years from your last period of active duty of at least 90 consecutive days.

Q. Can I transfer my entitlement to my dependents?

A. If you are a member of the Armed Forces on August 1, 2009, the Department of Defense (DoD) may offer you the opportunity to transfer benefits to your spouse or dependent children. DoD and the military services will issue policy on entitlement to transferability benefit in the coming months.

For up-to-date information on this and other education benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov.

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