BOONE—A $273,922, three-year grant awarded to Appalachian State University from the U.S. Department of Education will be used to support Student Veterans on campus.

Appalachian is the only UNC system school to receive DOE Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) funding.

“This funding will allow us to better build a sense of community among our Student Veterans so that we can serve them better,” said Professor Lynn Gregory, who wrote the grant proposal. Mike Mayfield, vice provost for undergraduate education, is the co-manager of the grant with Gregory.

“This was a highly competitive grant, especially for a university that isn’t located near a military base,” Gregory said. “This funding will help the university support Student Veteran academic, professional, and personal success through a range of initiatives. It will also increase awareness across the university community of the richness these students bring to our courses and our campus.”

Increasing student veteran enrollment is another goal of the grant.

Appalachian had 227 service member students receiving Veterans Affairs benefits in 2014-15.

CEVSS encourages model programs to support Student Veteran success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students.

Since 2010, Appalachian has been designated a Military Friendly School® by Victory Media for embracing America’s military service members, Veterans, and dependents as students and ensuring their success on campus.

Appalachian’s Office of Admissions maintains a website for Veterans and military service members considering enrolling at the university. The university also has Veteran counselors, as well as academic and financial aid advisors on staff, and a chapter of the Student Veterans Association on campus. The Career Development Center assists Student Veterans with career planning and Veteran’s preference programs. Appalachian offers in-state tuition without residency requirements for military students who are in the N.C. National Guard or on active duty at a military base within North Carolina.

In addition, Appalachian created a Military Affairs Committee (MAC) in 2012, which takes an enrollment management approach to supporting Student Veterans and other military-affiliated students. Representation includes financial aid, admissions, advising and orientation, counseling, graduate school, ROTC and others. In addition, the MAC has included representation from the Boone community and the Student Veterans Association. Gregory is the chair of the committee and attributes its success to the committee’s outstanding members.

Those wishing to support Appalachian’s Student Veterans can contact Gregory at [email protected].

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.