Out of the uniform and into the university

- Anna Middleton

For some students, Veterans Day (November 11) is a joyful reminder that the semester is drawing to an end. For other students, the day brings up very different thoughts — memories of military life.

From services here at Metropolitan State University to reintegration programs and teaching certificates, today’s veterans have some great new educational options and programs.

Veterans Services Office

Metropolitan State’s Veterans Service Office was created on February 5, 2007. Because it is a brand new department, Bruce Holzschuh, Veterans Services Coordinator, is creating it from the ground up.

"It’s kinda like fixing a car while you’re driving it down the road," Holzschuh says. "We’re still evolving."

The department’s mission is to connect Metropolitan State veterans to various services that will enable them to be academically successful. Such services include VA benefits, disability services, counseling and much more.

Also, through the new Minnesota GI Bill, full-time students may be eligible to gain up to $1,000 a semester. Part-time students may be eligible for up to $500 a semester. This bill is part of a program to offer postsecondary educational aid to Minnesota veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.

According to Holzschuh, Metropolitan State considers veterans to be "anybody who’s worn the uniform." Over 500 students here fit that description, ranging from those currently in the reserves or recently discharged to those from the Vietnam era or earlier.

Some younger veterans have trouble integrating into traditional colleges and universities, but the wide age range and more mature environment at Metropolitan State enables them to fit in easier and blend in better. Metropolitan State is also ideal because of its evening and once-a-week classes.

Holzschuh emphasizes that the department is non-political. Its goal is simply to assist students to get the education benefits that many of them went into the military for in the first place.

Organization of the Military Veterans and Friends student group is still underway. There has been plenty of interest since the first planning meetings last spring, but coordinating people’s schedules for subsequent meetings has been a challenge.

Keep an eye out this week for the great activities planned to commemorate Veterans Day! For more information on veterans services or activities, e-mail veterans.services@metrostate.edu.

"Beyond the Yellow Ribbon"

As of Sept. 13, 2007, the Minnesota National Guard reported over 13,000 total soldiers and airmen enlisted. Approximately 1,283 are currently deployed, with some 500 of those in Iraq, 417 in Kosovo and 32 in Afghanistan.

To assist these military personnel, the Minnesota National Guard created a program called "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon." The name is a reminder that soldiers need support long after they return from deployment, and the program is a way to help these men and women reintegrate into their communities, jobs, families and schools.

Each Guard unit in the program will meet for specialized workshops and seminars at 30, 60 and 90 days after their return. The first reintegration day includes relational and parenting sessions, explanations of veteran benefits and a job fair. Subsequent training focuses on topics such as anger management, substance abuse and health assessments.

Through a Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) program, qualifying part-time soldiers can gain financial support to pursue professional and educational goals. The FTA program currently covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for a wide range of degrees and certificates, including Associate, Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees.

Troops to Teachers

Not only are returning soldiers becoming students, but some are becoming teachers. "Troops to Teachers" (TTT) is a program managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support. This program helps eligible military personnel find new careers as teachers in schools that serve low-income families throughout America.

Metropolitan State is one of four Minnesota universities with current TTT participants.

Last year, 20 award-winning "Teachers of the Year" were veterans who had participated in TTT. One of these 20 was Walter Jackson, a 26-year-old Air Force veteran. He now teaches science at Isaiah Haines Elementary School in Brown Mills, N.J.

"I am proud of all the airmen, soldiers and sailors that have taken up this great profession of teaching," Jackson said. "To me it is one of the most rewarding opportunities I have experienced and embraced in my life. Working with great people and providing our students with core knowledge, as well as sharing our varied experience in life, is just another way we give back to our community and serve our country."

Pending availability of funds, financial assistance may be provided to eligible individuals as stipends up to $5,000 to help pay for teacher certification costs or as bonuses of $10,000 to teach in schools serving a high percentage of students from low-income families. Participants who accept the Stipend or Bonus must agree to teach for three years.

For more information about TTT, visit http://www.ProudtoServeAgain.com.