NATE: Veterans make up about 5 percent of undergraduate students around the country; and, this number doesn't even take into account military families or active duty military members.
ALICIA: While more veterans are entering college you might not notice it, looking at a typical classroom.
NATE: A lot of us don’t advertise the fact that we’re veterans. Maybe we don’t want to be labeled or stereotyped. We don’t want to be treated differently. So we keep it to ourselves.
ALICIA: But every now and then we have to reach out to faculty and staff for help. Imagine you work in a department office. One day you’re sitting at your desk and in comes this student, Lena. She says…
LENA: Excuse me. I don't know who to talk to but I'm in the Army Reserves. I just found out that I'm being redeployed in a couple of weeks. And I don't know what to do about my classes.
STAFF MEMBER: What exactly do you need help with?
STUDENT: I just thought someone here would have an answer for me about what to do. I don't want to lose all the work that I've put into the semester. And my tuition's paid through the G.I. Bill, and they don't pay if you withdraw from your classes. So, I don't know, does that mean that I have to pay for the entire semester myself? I can't afford that.
STAFF MEMBER: If you know you could be redeployed, why did you enroll in this semester?
STUDENT: Look. You never know when you might be called. I didn't know I'd be redeployed, how could I possibily know that?
COACH: She got upset because it sounded like the staff member was blaming her for being in this situation. People in the reserves often have very short notice when they get called for deployment. It would be best if the staff member tried referring her to someone who can help.
STAFF MEMBER: Sorry, I don't know anything about this G.I. Bill. I can't really help you.
STUDENT: So, you just have no idea what I can do?
STAFF MEMBER: I'm just saying, I've never dealt with anything like this. I've never heard about anything like this. I'm sorry.
COACH:It can be very frustrating for students - especially veterans - to deal with university bureaucracy. Even if the staff member didn't know the answer to her question, she was probably in a better position than Lena is to figure out where to get answers.
STAFF MEMBER: Have you spoken to our veteran liaison?
STUDENT: No. Who's that?
STAFF MEMBER: I'll look up her name. She coordinates all our veteran services. She's actually the one to go to whenever you have a question related to your service.
(The Staff Member calls the veteran liaison, and she asks the Staff Member to send the student over.)
STAFF MEMBER: Okay, so I spoke to Linda Gray, our veteran liaison. She said she's free right now if you want to go over.
STUDENT: Okay.
STAFF MEMBER: This is her contact information.
STUDENT: Alright, thank you!
STAFF MEMBER: They can just call you in the middle of a semester like that?
STUDENT: Apparently.
STAFF MEMBER: I can see why you'd be stressed. Look, I'm not the person who can help you, but I'll connect you with someone who can, okay?
STUDENT: Thanks.
STAFF MEMBER: Did you talk to your professors?
STUDENT: I emailed them last night but I haven't heard back yet. One of my T.A.s said that he thinks I’ll have to drop the class. But we just finished midterms.
COACH: While she could talk to her professors and try to work something out with each other them, it would be better if there was one office where she could find answeres to all her questions. Some schools have a veteran liasion, who's familiar with veteran issues like these, and every school has a certifying official who handles GI Bill paperwork. This is usually someone in the Registrar's Office.
STAFF MEMBER: Have you spoken to our veteran liaison?
STUDENT: No. Who's that?
STAFF MEMBER: I'll look up her name. She coordinates all our veteran services. She's actually the one to go to whenever you have a question related to your service.
(The Staff Member calls the veteran liaison, and she asks the Staff Member to send the student over.)
STAFF MEMBER: Okay, so I spoke to Linda Gray, our veteran liaison. She said she's free right now if you want to go over.
STUDENT: Okay.
STAFF MEMBER: This is her contact information.
STUDENT: Alright, thank you!
ALICIA: When a student veteran comes to you, sometimes you can help and sometimes you can’t. We understand that. But it means a lot to us when you just listen, care, and try to help.
NATE: When you treat us like adults, and respect what we’re dealing with.
ALICIA: And when you know where we can go to get answers.
If your school has a veteran services office or a veteran liaison, that’s the perfect place to refer most veteran-related issues.
If your school doesn’t have something like that, there are also other good referral options.
If a student has questions about G.I. Bill educational benefits, refer her to your school’s certifying official. All universities have a certifying official, who handles G.I. Bill paperwork. This is usually someone in the registrar’s office.
NATE: If a student needs academic accommodations due to a service-related injury, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, refer them to the disability services office.
ALICIA: And, if a student veteran is having a hard time emotionally — if they have anxiety, depression, or transitional stress—you can refer them to the counseling center, to a local V.A. hospital or Vet Center, or even to a student veteran club, where they can meet others who may be going through something similar.