Today we celebrate the service of all United States military veterans and say thank you.
As leaders in higher education, we are especially proud of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ long history of providing education and training to veterans, members of the Minnesota National Guard, and service members on active duty. As veterans have sought to learn new skills, enhance existing skills or translate skills learned in the military for use in the civilian world, they have been able to enroll in one of our 31 institutions.*
Meeting the needs of veterans returning to a campus is a complex undertaking. Some veterans face personal, relationship, education and employment issues on completing military duty. Veterans’ families also may need help while their loved ones serve overseas and when they return home. Working with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Minnesota National Guard, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system office has provided additional training to counselors, student affairs staff, faculty and administrators on assisting veterans.
In addition, recent legislation has provided assistance and resources for developing veterans-friendly colleges and universities. The Minnesota GI Bill’s “last dollar in” program provides additional benefits to veterans after other benefits have been exhausted. For information on the MnSCU educational resources available to veterans and admissions information, please see: http://www.mnscu.edu/military/index.html
Anita Rios
*(source: MnSCU Veterans Programs and Services Fact Sheet 2013, thanks to Gina Sobania)
Higher EDge 