UC Plans New Center to Serve Veterans

A new Veterans One Stop Center is coming this fall to the second floor of University Pavilion to provide increased support and services for the University of Cincinnati’s growing student population of military veterans.

The center – a partnership between UC Enrollment Management and Student Affairs – is expected to open on the second floor of University Pavilion behind the UC One Stop Center around the Veterans Day holiday, says Debra Merchant, associate vice president for Student Services.

A

Web-based version of the Veterans One Stop Center

currently holds information about support services including tutoring, career services, disability services and counseling in addition to support involving veterans benefits certification. The center and website are supported by more than $194,800 in UC 2019 funding.

Merchant says the center will add more staffing to assist veterans, including a program manager, an additional certifying official (to add to the two that are currently on staff), and a program coordinator.  Merchant says the increased staffing will improve the efficiency of the certification process and enhance support for the large number of veterans who are distance learners – nearly half of UC’s veteran population.

“We are also in the process of identifying and training certifying officials at UC Blue Ash and Clermont College, which will be so helpful for veterans attending UC on the regional campuses,” says Merchant.

The Veterans One Stop Center will also work with a liaison from the Veterans Administration, who will be assigned to the university to assist veterans with VA health services, as well as issues such as readjusting to civilian life.

The center evolved from recommendations to assemble a UC admissions, academic support and centralized administrative services plan for veterans who wanted to advance their education using their post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits. The recommendations came from a task force of UC leaders assembled by the Office of the Provost in 2008, with the goal of making UC the preeminent destination for American veterans who wanted to advance their education using their post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits. 

UC was anticipating an increase in enrollment of military veterans from 500 in fall term 2008 to 653 by fall term in 2013. However, UC surpassed those numbers by a wide margin and has 1,009 student veterans enrolled this fall.

A recent report from the American Council on Education

found that the nation’s higher education institutions are adding and improving programs to support military and veteran students. The survey of 690 institutions found that 62 percent of surveyed institutions provided programs and services that were specifically designed for veterans, while 71 percent were including such programs and services in their long-term strategic plan.

Student veterans who are currently seeking assistance with certification of VA benefits may continue to use the following contact information: 513-556-6811, or e-mail vetcert@uc.edu.

For the fourth year in a row, UC was just named to the

2013 Military Friendly Schools®

list by G.I. Jobs, the premier magazine for military personnel adjusting to civilian life.

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