SU establishes Veterans’ Resource Center to better serve student-veterans; new website launched

Jaime Winne Alvarez
(315) 443-3784

From its historic role educating post-World War II veterans under the original Montgomery GI Bill to serving post-9/11 servicemen and women through the current Yellow Ribbon Education Enhancement Program, Syracuse University has a proud tradition of supporting veterans of the United States Armed Services.

In order to better assist student-veterans, the University has established the Veterans’ Resource Center. Housed at University College (UC) , 700 University Ave., the center provides student-veterans with a personalized set of services from recruitment to degree completion. A dedicated website has been established at http://veterans.syr.edu.

“We welcome veterans to Syracuse University where they will earn a quality education that will benefit them as they transition into the next phase of their lives,” says Peg Stearns, the resource center’s VA Certifying Officer. “Student-veterans bring unique character, integrity and life experience to our campus. We look forward to working with them through the University’s new resource center.”

In addition to academic and financial aid advisors and student service coordinators, support resources that will be available to student-veterans through SU’s Veterans’ Resource Center will assist them in confronting issues specific to their personal situations. These support resources include:

• Child care grant information and referral to a local not-for-profit resource organization for assistance in choosing quality child care while student-veterans attend classes;
• deployment/redeployment policies governing refunds, incompletes, re-enrollment, etc., to aid student-veterans who are called to active duty during a semester already in progress;
• veteran-friendly payment policies tailored to the particular needs and restrictions of student-veterans;
• general advising on returning to school, selecting courses and exploring education options that meet student-veterans personal and professional goals;
• providing a first point of contact for graduate degree program and academic department referrals;
• assessing student-veterans’ financial aid eligibility, including federal, state and institutional grants and scholarships, veteran’s benefitsand special opportunity programs;
• promoting access to SU offices that offer special assistance, such as career planning and disability services;
• coordinating referrals to community-based services, such as the Syracuse Vet Center and VA Medical Center; and
• providing information on campus programs available to them, including the Whitman School of Management’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (free training in entrepreneurship and small business management to soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines disabled as a result of their service supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom), and the WorkKeys Center (skills assessment, instructional support and training to prepare returning veterans for the workplace).

The University is in the process of establishing a Veterans’ Lounge specifically for student-veterans. The lounge, staffed by fellow veterans, will provide a place where student-veterans can gather, make connections with fellow veterans and share strategies, information and support as they adjust to a higher education environment. The lounge will be conveniently located at UC.

For more information, contact the center at (315) 443-3261 or veterans@syr.edu.