State Colleges and Universities Work to Welcome Vets

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With the Iraq War over and the conflict in Afghanistan winding down, Wisconsin’s colleges and universities have seen an influx in veteran enrollment. Now schools are finding new ways to accommodate them.

At the new UW La Crosse Veterans Center, students chat in a corner while eating pizza, as another student concentrates on his homework. This year, there are about 300 known veterans at UWL, up from 250 last year.

Student Veterans Association President Spencer Niebur served in the Navy for six years. He says the space gives the growing number of vets a place where they can relate to each other. “If you’re having a bad day or having a problem adjusting, or have a question about campus, you can ask everyone in here because we’ve all had the same growing pains as far as assimilating into the college lifestyle, basically from combat to college.”

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SVA adviser Carol Oyster says transitioning into civilian life can be hard, especially for veterans entering college. “The research is clear. A lot of veterans feel like they’re not getting much support and much welcoming at campuses. Those campuses that do have organizations, and especially those that have centers, the students tend to do better in terms of grade point averages, and they tend to stay and graduate.”

Just a few blocks away at Western Technical College, Veterans Services have added an admissions advisor to help guide students through the complicated GI Bill process. They are also providing more outreach services at the Tomah campus.

The number of veterans receiving GI Bill benefits at Wisconsin Technical College schools has spiked. In 2005, there were about 800 vets. Last year, there were more than 3,500.