In response to my post from Sunday about the bureaucratic hassles that John Byrnes experienced at Hunter College when he was called up to active duty, one reader followed the suggestion by John in Carolina to contact colleges to see what they were doing to help students in the military.

David Horton wrote his alma mater, California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. With his permission, I’m posting his letter.

Dear President Ortiz,

I am writing to you to inquire as to what Cal Poly Pomona is doing to help those students who are also active members of the military, specifically those students who are presently are in the Middle East.

There has been a story regarding a student who was denied in-state tuition because he was no longer considered a citizen of his state (he was in Iraq at the time). Please follow the link: http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/12433442.htm

There is also a story regarding a student attending Hunter College (a part of CUNY) who has troubles with various professors and administrative staff that required the intervention of the College President. Please follow the link: http://michellemalkin.com/archives/003312.htm

Please inform me what the University is doing for the special needs for those who are defending our country? Is there an administrator assigned to such a position? Has the University’s position been communicated to the administrators, faculty, Associated Students, and especially, the students who are defending our country?

Thank you in advance for your response,

He received back a very polite and informative letter from the college’s president, Dr. J. Michael Ortiz detailing many things that the CSU campuses are doing to help students who might be called up.

1) Full refund of fees for students unable to attend due to activation for compulsory military service
2) Extensions of time for the completion of requirements of courses with incomplete grades for cases related to military service
3) Eligibility for continued student status for students following active service
4) Determination of California residency for tuition purposes for students maintaining a permanent military address and home of record in California
5) Undergraduate degree credit for completion of non-collegiate instruction that includes military instruction
6) Member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges which provides voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military
7) Nine units of elective credit awarded to students with an honorable discharge from the military
Thirteen quarter units granted towards graduation to students submitting evidence of receiving commission in the Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.
9) Fee waivers of mandatory system-wide fees to qualifying dependents of USA military veterans
10) Administration of VA Benefits for eligible students

And in response to the Mr. Horton’s concern that students might not know about all these benefits, Dr. Ortiz also said that he is going to make sure that the college pulls all this information together on to a single website so that students in the military will know what they’re entitled to.

Kudos to Mr. Horton for taking the time to write the e-mail and to Dr. Ortiz for writing such a quick and comprehensive response. Perhaps because of Mr. Horton’s letter, things will be easier for such students at Pomona.

Some of you might want to consider writing your alma mater with a similar request for information. Maybe you can make sure that students like John Byrnes don’t have to deal with obdurate bureaucracies as they are preparing to ship out to Iraq or elsewhere.

UPDATE: John in Carolina has some more thoughts and reactions about how to help student/soldiers

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