Elmhurst University students and faculty have partnered with an American Legion post in Downers Grove to develop an innovative, user-friendly AI tool that simplifies the search for education benefits and financial aid options for veterans and their families.
Available on the Alexander Bradley Burns Post 80 website, the free tool, Post80.AI, is a chatbot that sorts through and curates the overwhelming amount of online information available regarding veterans benefits, providing validated, targeted answers to veterans’ questions in a conversational way.
“Our goal is to guide veterans through the labyrinth of available educational opportunities, ensuring they maximize their available financial resources and achieve their individual educational aspirations,” said Post 80 Cmdr. Howard Parker.
The tool resulted from Post 80’s ongoing efforts to recruit new members and better serve current ones, including both new veterans and active-duty service members.
The post’s marketing committee reached out to Elmhurst University for help in determining what military service members were most interested in learning more about. Elmhurst MBA student and Army Sgt. Eugene Lee researched topics and sent out a survey to thousands of active-duty military and veteran service members.
The priority topics that emerged included how to find military-friendly colleges, universities and trade schools to suit individual interests; and how to access financial aid resources.
The Post 80 marketing committee, led by retired management executive Patrick Yanahan, thought artificial intelligence could be used to sift through and focus all of the available educational information.
At Elmhurst U., James Kulich, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, and a group of his graduate students jumped at the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to the project. The team consulted with companies that were using AI systems, evaluated different systems and then developed the content, including a self-updating functionality to ensure that information shared with veterans would stay current.
The Post80.AI tool uses advanced algorithms to analyze educational institutions, providing tailored suggestions based on individual queries. The tool empowers active-duty military and veterans to make informed decisions regarding their educational paths, and to apply for financial aid options, including scholarships, grants and earned military education benefits.
“I am excited and honored that Elmhurst University can contribute to the service of our military and veterans in this way,” Kulich said. “This project aligns perfectly with our AI and Advanced Analytics Innovation Lab’s mission to engage students and faculty in private-sector projects that use AI to tackle meaningful problems.”
Post 80 emphasized the importance of education in shaping successful futures for veterans, aligning with military organizations like the American Legion that recognize education as a key motivator in recruitment.
“Our team created the Post 80 AI system to aid active military personnel and veterans in identifying programs and institutions that offer educational and financial assistance,” said Parker, noting that even though Post 80, which was founded in 1919, is one the oldest posts in the American Legion, “we found it appropriate to adopt the latest technology to make a significant contribution to veterans and a unique way for us to serve them.”