To best understand veterans’ needs, ARCC conducted focus groups for veterans and their families, and ARCC students and staff to discuss potential reintegration issues returning veterans may face. The focus groups culminated on the ARCC Coon Rapids Campus with a visit in December by Minnesota Army National Guard Major John Morris, who serves as deputy state chaplain and works in the MDVA office. Morris has served soldiers in combat in Iraq and stateside and speaks about the psychological and social issues of soldier students.

“The focus groups and the presentation by Major Morris help us to more fully understand what the returning vets will need,” says Scott Bay, ARCC Director of Access Services and Vietnam veteran. “What we’re hearing is that these young veterans are not used to systems that expect them to be so independent. We’re hoping to help them with that potential barrier through a vet-friendly one-stop resource center. The resources will be available when the spring semester begins in January.”

Bay points out that centralizing veterans’ resources is an evolving process and veterans on both the Cambridge and Coon Rapids Campuses will have access to resources. While no additional funds are necessary for this initiative, office space has been allotted at the Coon Rapids Campus. The Coon Rapids Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has agreed to provide a flag and pole, and the MDVA has authorized the hire of a work-study student veteran.

“The office space will be good because vets tend to migrate toward other vets,” Bay concludes. “But with or without an office space vets on both campuses will be able to get the resources they need.”

Through the Montgomery G.I. Bill, eligible soldiers and veterans qualify for up to 36 months of education benefits to help fund educational opportunities, such as college courses, degrees and certifications, necessary to obtain, keep or advance in a job. At ARCC and other state universities and colleges, veterans can receive education credits that meet American Council on Education standards. Further, in-state tuition rates are available for non-resident soldiers and veterans.

“A lot of these returning vets will be between the ages of 21 and 26,” says Bay. “The jobs they left when they went into active service may not be available any longer. Anoka-Ramsey wants to do everything possible to help them get the education they need to get back to work.”

State and Federal Educational Support
The State now requires all higher learning institutions to establish on-campus resource centers for veterans. This initiative began with a $600,000 annual five-year appropriation from the Legislature that resulted in the set up of six regional veterans’ assistance offices in August. Those regional offices, five at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and one at the University of Minnesota, are charged with assisting ARCC and all higher education institutions in establishing campus centers to provide veterans information, resources and referrals about benefits, such as the Montgomery GI bill, psychological assistance and physical injury support.

ARCC TRIO Director, Cindy Nutter has applied for the federally-funded Veteran Upward Bound grant. This grant would accompany ARCC’s other two TRIO programs, Upward Bound and Student Support Services, which are designed to help students with modest incomes or whose parents do not hold degrees or both. Funding for the TRIO program has been reduced for the upcoming year so expectations are not high for receiving the funding. Official notification will not arrive until March or April. Regardless, Nutter wants veterans to be assured ARCC is doing all it can.

“We know there will be a lot of vets returning to the area,” says Nutter. “We want them to know Anoka-Ramsey has been preparing to welcome them, support them and provide resources to meet their educational needs.” Morris will also visit both Campuses in January to share more information with staff and students.

For more information on Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s (ARCC) veteran programs, call Bay at 763.433.1334 or visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu.