Member Advisory
March 18, 2013
Legislation supporting veteran education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions to be introduced
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) commends Congresswoman Negrete McLeod for her work in introducing one of HACU’s policy priorities, the VET Education Act of 2013.
The VET Education Act of 2013, legislation being introduced on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War by U.S. Representative Negrete McLeod of California, would establish a competitive grant process for Minority-Serving Institutions to obtain funding for programs and initiatives that enable veterans to enroll in and complete their post-secondary education.
This proposal represents a unique opportunity for HSIs since currently, none of the higher education support bills provide meaningful provisions to assist the Office of Veterans Affairs with resources to reach out and identify veterans, and to encourage and support their access to higher education. The introduction of this legislation on March 19 intends to correct this oversight by providing for the following:
- Support the establishment of Centers for Veteran Student Success on campuses to provide a single point of contact to coordinate support services for veteran students
- Provide personal, academic, and career counseling services
- Provide assistance with special admissions and transfer of credit from previous postsecondary education or work experience
- Assist in obtaining student financial aid
- Provide housing support for veteran students living on campus or commuting veteran students
- Coordinate academic advising and admissions counseling with military bases and National Guard units in the area
HACU encourages representatives and administrators of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to become involved with the passage of this bill by contacting their legislator and advocating for its enactment. To determine who represents your congressional district, click here. For more information regarding this initiative, please contact Laura Maristany.