Talking Stick - November/December 2008 - 20

Res Life WADe LiViNgSToN out requirements. Specific examples of the kind of support needed include the following: • Find out who the point-person is for student veterans who need to withdraw from and re-enroll at the institution. Housing personnel at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, partnered with Teresa Johnson, assistant director for financial aid and veterans affairs coordinator, to help re-enrolling student veterans with the assignment process. Johnson notes, “We were able to get in touch with one of our housing officials while they [student veterans] were still abroad and get them pre-registered in the housing lottery.” This kind of collaboration allows housing directors to handle issues before they become problems. • Know the withdrawal and reenrollment processes related to student veterans. Knowing how to access information and making referrals to other departments is another crucial element of effective support. Texas A&M University in College Station provides an excellent snapshot of the withdrawal and re-enrollment processes on their financial aid Web site ( //financialaid. tamu.edu/forms/VeteransReenrollment Handout.pdf ). The one-page format conveys information quickly and effectively, but it could also be supplied as hard copy or posted on the housing department’s Web site. Having a staff member in the office who understands all the details of the withdrawal and re-enrollment processes can truly help student veterans during stressful times. • Disseminate the housing contract cancellation and renewal procedures to student veteran organizations. These organizations can often help disseminate information more directly and more effectively. As DiRamio notes, “Sometimes the in on-campus housing. Several factors may influence this decision. One is maturity: student veterans, especially those who have seen combat, may find it difficult to relate to their non-military peers. “Other students have not been where they have, and it’s hard for them to relate to the vets – it’s a maturity issue,” says Mary Ann Rampey, student veteran point-person and administrative assistant to the associate dean of undergraduate studies at Clemson. In addition to sometimes being older than traditional age students, veterans often have families to support, a factor that may weigh into their decision to live off campus. Affordability is another issue. Though the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill offers a housing allowance, a veteran’s dollar may stretch farther at an off-campus venue where more amenities are available for a lower price. For student veterans who do decide to live in residence halls, it is important that housing professionals be prepared to do all that is necessary to support them. This may require some flexibility, and latitude may need to be given for policies related to housing assignments, contract cancellation, and move-in and move- 20 Talking Stick

http://financialaid.tamu.edu/forms/VeteransReenrollmentHandout.pdf http://financialaid.tamu.edu/forms/VeteransReenrollmentHandout.pdf http://financialaid.tamu.edu/forms/VeteransReenrollmentHandout.pdf

Talking Stick - November/December 2008

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