Eastern opens doors to veterans

August 26, 2010

By Tim Mandell Register News Writer The Richmond Register Thu Aug 26, 2010, 04:30 PM EDT

RICHMOND — Eastern Kentucky University has made a commitment to help military veterans and the dependents of disabled or deceased veterans get a higher education.

The Veterans Affairs program, as part of the Student Outreach and Transition Office, currently has 625 students, said Lt. Col. Brett Morris, Ret.

“That includes veterans who are out of service, current active duty service members, guard and reserve service members or dependents of veterans who are 100 percent disabled or deceased who transferred benefits to their spouse or child,” Morris said.

Many of the student veterans are between 24 to 30 years old, he said.

As a way to encourage, or assist, veterans to enroll at EKU, the college makes it easier for those students to make the transition.

The school waves the $30 admission fee and reduced tuition is available for all students, even those attending EKU from out of state.

Veterans who have completed basic training will be given a PHE 180-Lifetime Wellness credit, which fulfills the general education requirement for wellness.

They also get six hours of Military Science credit to be used as free electives.

Priority registration is available and a Veterans Orientation Course is offered.

Another program, called Books for Boots Textbooks Exchange Library, allows students to donate their textbooks, and if a book they need for the next semester is available, they can check it out.

Students worried about fitting in with the general student population can take the Veterans Cohort classes, which are English, math and other general education classes in a classroom environment with their veteran peers.

“We try to help them make the transition so they’re not in a classroom with a bunch of other freshman learning how to do their laundry,” he said. “These guys coming back, they don’t look any different, maybe a little older, but they have a world of different experiences.”

Deploying Guard and Reserve students can withdrawal from EKU and be re-admitted without having to re-apply.

The school also has a mentoring program and an adventure program.

EKU was recognized this past week for being in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students, according to G.I. Jobs magazine.

This is the second consecutive year EKU has received the honor.

From 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, EKU will host the Welcome Aboard/Welcome Back Veterans Picnic at E.C. Million Park.

A veteran’s group meets once a month on or around campus and plans events, such as an October camping and climbing trip to Red River Gorge.

The first meeting of the veteran’s group is at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 at Gillum’s Sports Lounge.

For more information about services available to veterans at EKU, contact the Veterans Affairs Office at 859-622-2345 or visit www.soto.eku.edu/veterans/op-vet-success.php.

Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.

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