VMA Expands, Helps Boost Military Population at UA

VMA Expands, Helps Boost Military Population at UA

Osielia Lewis, Veterans Military Affairs Specialist, assists students with the procurement and processing of their VA educational benefits.
Osielia Lewis, Veterans Military Affairs Specialist, assists students with the procurement and processing of their VA educational benefits.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Gasp. Pause. Ask for clarification.

Student veterans and dependents at The University of Alabama are often surprised when they learn of the many benefits available to attend college.

From the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill, which allows for the transfer of school funding to dependents, to veterans medical benefits, the process from discovery to access is like learning of oil underneath property and then trying to figure out how to tap into it – it can be confusing and tedious, and without someone to explain benefits and process government paperwork, it can eventually become discouraging.

David Blair, director, UA Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, and staff members serve as a gateway between students and governmental agencies like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which certifies veterans to receive anything from healthcare to money to attend college.

They also provide more practical services, like textbook rental (Textbook for Troops), study spaces, computer labs, free printing and academic counseling.

The Office for Veteran and Military Affairs, which includes student amenities that include lounge space, computer labs and textbook rentals, is located in Houser Hall.
The Office for Veteran and Military Affairs, which includes student amenities that include lounge space, computer labs and textbook rentals, is located in Houser Hall.

The VMA is housed on the third floor of Houser Hall, where, at each door a staff member can help a student veteran or dependent with a disability claim, VA health coverage or G.I. Bill paperwork.

In the information era, one would think applying for and accessing these benefits would include a streamlined, automated process. It’s getting there, but it’s complicated, Blair said.

“If you get here and are stressed out about getting your GI Bill on time or your housing allowance isn’t here on time, to me, that’s where we make our greatest impact,” Blair said. “You can step on campus and not have even applied for the GI Bill, but we can get you through that process quickly.

“But we can also call Tuscaloosa Emergency Services, get you an emergency grant, pay your deposit for your apartment, and do the things like that to ease all that stress off you.

“That stress typically leads to increased dropout rates for student veterans in higher ed after that first semester.”

When Blair arrived at UA in 2011 to launch the VMA, his first goal was boosting enrollment through strategized recruiting, via the Division of Student Affairs and expansion of the Yellow Ribbon Program under Chapter 33 of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which covers out-of-state charges at a 50-50 match between the school and the VA.

The University had roughly 50 Yellow Ribbon Program slots when Blair arrived but is now unlimited.

David Blair, an Army veteran, has been director of UA's Office for Veteran and Military Affairs since its inception in 2011.
David Blair, an Army veteran, has been director of UA’s Office for Veteran and Military Affairs since its inception in 2011.

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill provides money for tuition, books and housing for military veterans based on time served. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill allows for the transfer of up to 36 months of benefits to children of active duty service members.

Student veterans or dependents can receive up to $1,000 a year for books, a $1,200 monthly stipend and have tuition covered.

“Parents would be crazy if they didn’t transfer those benefits,” Blair said. “With the transfer benefits, our admissions counselors around the country are starting to see a lot of dependents, whether it’s at a high school or junior college.”

Much like a battle plan, mapping metrics for success and how to improve the VMA and its services can be a fluid process. Federal legislation changes can increase or decrease funding for veterans programs, and the downsizing of active duty rosters can swell the number of veterans enrolling at universities.

The VMA has helped nearly double its veteran enrollment from 570 in 2011 to 1,034 in 2015-16. G.I. Bill certification increased from 862 in 2011-12 to 1,503 in 2014-15. The VMA currently serves 3,760 veterans, service members, dependents and survivors.

Veteran and service member enrollment for the fall semester stands at 1,182 students. Those figures, combined with data from a UA Action Card swipe machine at the door, helped the VMA convince UA administration to move the VMA from B.B. Comer Hall to a more spacious office in Houser.

The VMA has increased its staff size and number of work-study students, too.

“We have 1,500 people coming through that door each month,” Blair said. “You won’t see this at most universities. You may see an office where there’s a certification official, and they might have a lounge. And, a lot of other schools may tailor everything to the veterans themselves, but not so much to the family. That makes a big difference.”

The VMA’s approach to serving veterans and dependents mirrors that of the University: provide the best experience, support and services possible, and the rest will take care of itself.

The VMA’s staff includes a mixture of military advocates like Osielia Lewis, who helps students access VA education benefits, and military veterans like Jason Sellars, a former Army Ranger who serves as assistant director for the VMA and oversees the certification profess for students utilizing the G.I. Bill.

“Jason Sellars isn’t just fighting the battle on campus – he’s fighting it everywhere,” said Tyler Hohbach, Army veteran and senior Management Information Systems major. “There are 3,000-plus people on campus using these benefits – it’s insane. He’s also rewritten Georgia legislation to make sure guys who’ve lost parents get the right benefits.

“The biggest surprise to veterans is when their stuff gets messed up, and they come up here angry, and they talk to someone and soon realize these people are their advocates. They realize they have multiple people here for them, allies who’ll go to bat for you.”

Contact

David Miller, UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825, dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu

Source

David Blair, director, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, 205/348-0983, drblair1@sa.ua.edu