To further assist continuing the reintegration efforts of returning veterans, Anoka-Ramsey Community College has set up Vets Express Registration sessions at both the Cambridge Campus and Coon Rapids Campus in July and August so veterans can complete the entire admission process in a single day and begin classes in the fall.

The Vet Express Registration session at the Cambridge Campus will be Wednesday, Aug. 8, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Room D208.

The Vet Express Registration sessions at the Coon Rapids Campus will be held: Thursday, July 26; Thursday, Aug. 9; Thursday, Aug. 16. All the Coon Rapids Campus sessions will be held from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Mississippi Room.

According to the Minnesota National Guard, the Minnesota National Guard soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division, referred to as the “Red Bulls,” began to return to Minnesota the week of July 16. More veterans are expected to follow. The 2,600 soldiers with this division have been deployed 22 months. Sixteen months of their deployment has been in a combat zone, longer than any other military unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As part of their comprehensive reintegration process initiated at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, returning veterans are presented with information about educational benefits by both the Regional Coordinators for the Higher Education Veterans Programs and by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU).

“These soldiers have been on active duty for almost two years, and the timing of their arrival home makes it difficult, if not impossible to get registered for fall semester following a traditional timeline,” says Kristopher Jensen, the North Metro Regional Coordinator for the Higher Education Veterans Programs operating out of ARCC. “By creating express registration days, Anoka-Ramsey has taken the stress out of getting signed up for classes, and that’s really important to this group of veterans.”

Through the Vet Express sessions, veterans are offered refreshments, complete and submit applications, take placement tests, participate in orientation, tour the campus, register for classes and meet with ARCC admissions staff, Jensen and the new veteran-student worker in the ARCC Military Education Resource Center.

The center was established in January 2007, ahead of many other higher education institutions in the north metro region, to facilitate veterans’ re-entry into civilian life and welcome them to higher education with services and resources. The center is staffed part-time by a veteran and ARCC student, Chan Phouapradit.

Seats for the registration sessions are limited to 15 per session. To reserve your place in one of the sessions, call 763.433.1980 (Cambridge Campus) or 763.433.1240 (Coon Rapids Campus) or visit the ARCC veterans web site. For more information about veteran’s resources at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, call Phouapradit at 763.433.1390.