Another school year is upon us.  The Higher Education Veterans Program, Regional Coordinators and Minnesota State Approving Agency (SAA) have been extremely busy over the summer preparing for the start of another school year.  

For the SAA, this time means buttoning up compliance surveys and submitting the next fiscal year budget and workload to the Federal VA. Once the school year starts the rigorous cycle of program reviews, liaison activities, and certifying facilities commences once again.  Summer months are also spent reviewing Minnesota’s 183 institutional course catalogs to ensure our Veteran students are properly protected. In addition to course catalogs, SAA staff are responsible for approving and monitoring all on-the-job training and apprenticeship worksites as well as Minnesota’s license and certifications. The State Approving Agency consists of three Education Specialists and one Office and Administrative professional.

Regional Coordinators summer months are spent conducting outreach to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) workforce centers, County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO) offices, VA Veterans Centers, VA hospitals and Community Based Outreach Clinics (CBOC).  These meetings and relationships are crucial to the uninterrupted services each agency can provide our Veteran students.   College and University staff turn to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to provide institutional readiness for campus advising and orientation events leading up to the first day of school.  As the Veteran students return to campus, we ensure all Minnesota Veterans, current active duty and Guard/Reserve military members have easy access to their earned education benefits.  These benefits include: Federal GI Bill, Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA), State Tuition Reimbursement (STR), the Minnesota GI Bill, service organization scholarships, and any other local education programs they may be eligible for based on their period of service.  

Regional Coordinators assist with the Minnesota National Guard demobilization events.  This summer we went to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas.  Our staff provided education briefings, one-on-one service, and referrals for the 138 returning Minnesota Army National Guard Soldiers.  

The Higher Education Veterans Program consists of 12 Regional Coordinators, one Supervisor, and one Office and Administrative professional located in six regions throughout Minnesota.  We staff 55 Veteran Resource Centers on all of Minnesota’s colleges and universities.  If you know of a Veteran, current military member or a dependent with questions about available education benefits please have them contact Eric Abell, the Program Supervisor at (218) 396-0753.  For those looking for further information visit www.mymilitaryeducation.org  and find information on available education benefits, both federal and state.