Veterans Fight A New Battle To Go To College

We had the opportunity to review what has been happening at University of Michigan to veterans just a couple of weeks ago. In the last couple of weeks, they have reached out to tell more of their story.

Alan Beaulieu is an 11 and a half year veteran, having served in the Air Force as a K-9 handler during the Iraq War. He joined the Afternoon Drive Home to talk about his struggles with the University. He was told when he signed up that though he was a lifelong resident of the State of Michigan, since he had been deployed he would be considered an out of state resident and would be charged more.

He continued the fight with the University for four months and had to finally show proof that his parents live in the State of Michigan, in spite of the fact that he is over 30 years of age.

Beaulieu said that this experience is not just his own, but also that of every veteran that signs up to go to college there. Beaulieu said,

Even if you are from the state, as soon as you deploy out of the country or get stationed elsewhere, as we all do, you are classified as out of state and you have to turn around and provide a bunch of documentation to prove to them that you belong in the state.

Beaulieu said that it has been very discouraging for veterans and that many have moved on to other schools that are more "veteran friendly."

Beaulieu said that he wanted to get the information out to people all over the country because he is convinced that it could happen anywhere. He said,

Absolutely, it could happen at LSU. The University of Michigan makes $3 million of profit off of what is called the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is supposed to cover the difference between in state and out of state tuition.

That program is there because the G.I. Bill only covers in state tuition and it is supposed to bridge the gap for veterans.

Beaulieu asked people to go to change.org and type in "University of Michigan veterans discrimination" in the search area to go to their petition. He said that each time someone signs the petition, an email goes out to the regents of the university. Beaulieu said,