Returning military veterans can enroll at DePaul University on the spot through DePaul’s accelerated admission process. To be accepted, applicants still must meet DePaul's admission criteria, but the normally four- to six-week processing period is either eliminated or greatly reduced.  

“In recognition of their sacrifice and service to our country, DePaul University is proud to offer an accelerated admissions program to streamline the process for our returning service men and women who want to initiate or continue their college education.  In many cases, the University will be able to offer an instant admissions decision to these applicants,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul.

The news came in conjunction with a Monday morning announcement by U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) about the Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008, a new GI Bill that allows for expedited admission processes and other services to facilitate veterans’ entry into higher education for those who have served the United States in the military and who qualify for benefits under the 2008 GI Bill. DePaul was one of six colleges and universities in Chicago that participated in Monday’s announcement and support the initiative.

Students need simply to make an appointment for the Accelerated Veterans Admissions' Program. At that time, DePaul staff will indicate which documents the student needs to supply. Then, veterans bring those required documents to the admissions office, where DePaul staff will review these materials and make admissions decisions on the spot.

If a student is admitted, he or she can meet with an admission counselor to get a preliminary review of how prior post-secondary college credit hours will transfer and find out more about financial aid, orientation and any other issues they need to address in order to make their enrollment decision. As an added incentive, DePaul will waive the normal application fee for returning veterans.

Interested veterans should contact Pamela Lee, DePaul associate director of Admissions, at (312) 362-8464 for additional details.

Serving more than 23,000 students, DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, not-for-profit university in the Midwest. An innovative and diverse university offering pragmatic educational programs in the liberal arts and sciences, commerce, law, education, technology, music and theatre, DePaul also strives to instill values in its students. DePaul has been named as one of the nation’s top “Colleges with a Conscience” by the Princeton Review.