Veteran Services provide help to ex-soldiers
Brittany Hays
The Veteran’s Services department at MCC provides support in and out of the classroom; guiding veterans through enrollment and providing support groups and resources to help them adjust to college life.”The Veteran’s Services office is primarily a liaison between the Department of Veteran Affairs and the school,” said Valerie Virgil, a Vietnam veteran and assistant coordinator of Veteran’s Services at MCC.
The office allows veterans to enroll in classes and register with the VA to receive their benefits.
“We try to be a one-stop service and get things done immediately, so that veterans can get their money faster,” Vigil said.
The Veteran’s Services office advises that it still takes approximately four to six weeks for the paper work to be processed and for veterans to receive their checks.
Any veteran applying to get benefits for school must have been honorably discharged.
“Students may also apply for benefits from the VA if they are a dependant (child or spouse) of a veteran who was either 100 percent disabled or who dies on active duty,” Vigil said.
Veteran benefits vary from $500 to $1100 depending on whether or not the veteran is a full or part-time student and checks are distributed monthly, for up to 36 months.
Every semester veterans and dependants must complete a pay request form that is available at the MCC web site.
Veterans can also receive an additional $100 per month for tutoring, but it is the student’s responsibility to find a tutor on their own or from a list in the Veterans Office.
“Veteran Services helped me a lot. I’ve never been to college before and they walked me through it,” said Jared Dreger, an eight year Navy veteran.
“This is one of the most important services for veterans,” Meredith Smith, a Vietnam veteran and facilitator of the VA support groups at MCC said.
“The military teaches you to be strong and never ask for help and a lot of the veterans return with anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and won’t go to the VA for help because they feel like they are letting the military and their friends down,” Smith said.
The support meetings are for both veterans and the general public. They provide a sense of anonymity that makes it easier for people to ask questions.
Smith added that although the VA support groups are important, he sees room for improvement in the areas of one-on-one counseling.
“We have counselors at MCC but we don’t have anyone specifically trained to counsel these returning veterans with P.T. S .D., Smith said. “They need someone who can identify with them and who is qualified to direct the veteran to further help.”
Smith encourages the public to attend these support groups so that the family and friends of veterans know what they can do to help and recognize the signs that something is wrong.
Smith also said that it is important for MCC staff to learn about P.T.S.D so that they are aware of their students.
Smith added that MCC could be doing more to help the approximately 1500 veterans on campus and veterans in the area.
