Editor,
Because of the economic climate and the expansion of the GI Bill, many military service members have decided to return to school.
Having served their country at home and overseas, these student veterans have elected to use educational benefits at UNM.
The UNM community has an opportunity to increase the enrollment of returning student veterans, ensure their academic success and provide the necessary infrastructure for the UNM Veterans Resource Center.
Currently, the UNM Veterans Resource Center has one full-time employee who certifies more than 900 student veterans. On the other hand, Central New Mexico Community College employs three active certifying officials to do the same job.
UNM’s student veteran enrollment increases every semester, and the population of returning veterans looking to attend a school has not slowed.
Recently, the director of the UNM Veterans Resource Center resigned, adding to the strain of enrolling and retaining our student veteran community.
Student veterans not only contribute to the academic success and diversity of the UNM community, but also contribute to our financial well-being. Because of student veterans, UNM receives millions in tuition and fees every year from the federal government.
Certifying officials are essential to this process, by approving classes under federal guidelines and maintaining certification for student veterans with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
The certifying official is the only person who can contact the VA regional office, and the official often coordinates with other UNM offices to prevent student veterans from being financially dropped.
The UNM community benefits from the enrollment of student veterans in many ways, and the UNM Veterans Resource Center is crucial to keeping active service members, veterans and their dependents in school.
As the population of student veterans grows every semester, the UNM Veterans Resource Center must respond to compete nationally and locally with other universities.
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One immediate solution is to hire two part-time certifying officials and additional academic advisers to efficiently streamline the GI Bill benefits process. We, as the UNM community, must continue to support student veterans and ensure that students who start school graduate with a degree.
Andres F. Lazo
Student veteran
