For many student veterans, the transition from the battlefield to the classroom can often be a difficult one that others might not understand. Unbeknownst to them, student veterans have a slew of resources and places to go that they might not have been aware of right here on campus. 

#1: Student Veterans Association

If you’re looking for a rather traditional way to meet like-minded student veterans, then the Student Veterans Association is the place for you. The mission of the club is to represent and advocate for the interests of the student veteran population. The club meets every three weeks and aims to provide support structures and a forum for student veterans’ voices and opinions. 

#2: Veterans Connection Outreach

Hosted every Thursday from 5pm to 6:30pm by Dr. Angella Anderson and Ms. Maggie James, the Veterans Connection Outreach is a group that provides opportunities to make connections with other student veterans on campus. Student veterans are encouraged to drop-in and bring in topics that would be relevant to going to school as a student veteran. 

#3: Military and Veteran Student Center (MVSC)

The Military and Veteran Student Center, located in Russell Union 2027, in a place designed for military/veteran student to relax, study, and meet other service men and women.

“[Student veterans] need more support coming into college and the resources for them are nil—no programs or anything set up for our veterans, which is sad,” Harry Baldwin, Graduate Assistant from the Military and Veteran Student Center said. “This center is designed to sniff out those issues and those problems and concerns for our military students and our veteran students, and dependents. People often forget about the dependents of military students.”

The center is also in the process of starting a mentor program, in which junior and senior military students would mentor student veterans just returning to school in order to help them transition into college life. 

#4: Office of Veterans Services

The Office of Veterans Services specializes in providing service to student veterans by means of counseling on VA Educational Benefits, processing applications for VA Educational Benefits, the VA Work-Study Program, and other VA rights and benefits. The office is located in the Rosenwald Building on Sweetheart Circle, open Monday-Friday from 8-5pm. 

#5: GSU’s Veteran Affairs Coordinator

Andrea Hagans, the VA Coordinator for Georgia Southern, is a liaison to the student veterans and their dependents with the VA regarding their benefit program. She thinks it’s extremely important for student veterans to have adequate resources on campus, especially in the areas of career services and development. Depending on the time of year, she experiences different types of traffic. “The start of term I experience heavy traffic, calls, and emails. By the middle of the semester, it slows down some,” Hagans said. She is located in the Office of Veterans Services in the Rosenwald Building.