The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service announced Wednesday that student veterans and their dependents to use their VA educational benefits at Morris Brown College. Previously, Morris Brown became the first HBCU to regain its accreditation after a 20-year hiatus.
It means veterans can utilize their GI Bill benefits to attend the legendary HBCU. It also allows veterans and eligible dependents pay for colleges, graduate schools, and training programs.
In a letter penned to the Georgia Department of Veterans Service on July 14th, Senator Jon Ossoff petitioned the Veterans Education and Training Director Bobby Davis to reinstate the program.
Morris Brown College applied last year to the Georgia Department of Veterans Service to be approved as an institution that can serve veterans and eligible persons who receive educational assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These financial aid programs are vital to ensuring more students will be able to attend and earn a degree at Morris Brown College.
Senator Jon Ossoff
I ask that you fully and fairly consider Morris Brown College’s application for participation in the program and to brief my team on the status of the application. Thank you for your swift attention to this matter and for the work you do to support veterans in Georgia.
In December, Ossoff partnered with Morris Brown President, Dr. Kevin James, to restore the federal financial aid program which allows the college to accept Pell Grant monies from students in order to pay for tuition, room and board.
“With the reinstatement of Title IV funding, Morris Brown has also been approved to use VA benefits for military students. This approval was a huge win for the institution and will positively impact our student enrollment. Moreover, as seasoned adults, we believe veterans will positively impact our retention and success rates,” said Dr. Kevin James, President of Morris Brown College. “I want to thank Senator Jon Ossoff for working with us in calling on the Georgia Department of Veterans Service to allow student veterans and their dependents to use their VA educational benefits at Morris Brown College.”
To date, Senator Ossoff has secured $250 million in funding for Georgia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.