Veterans Program Background
The SIUC Transition Program for Veterans with Service-Related Injuries was created by the cumulative efforts of Disability Support Services (DSS) and Information Technology (IT) with the support of collaborating institutions in the Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market (SICCM). It is a statewide project funded by a grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education - Higher Education Cooperation Act (IBHE-HECA) and the Illinois AMVETS Service Foundation.
The overall goal of the program is to assist veterans with injuries (primarily from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars), in making a seamless transition from the military into postsecondary settings and successfully completing their baccalaureate degrees.
Veterans should contact the DSS Office to set up an individualized visit to the University. Tell us your needs and we will arrange the schedule. Best of all, participants will receive personally guided assistance through the University's entrance process from other veterans who have successfully experienced the military to university transition. A database of veterans from the campus and community has been compiled and participants will be matched with these peers according to their needs.
Veterans will receive a complimentary stay at the Holiday Inn while they are in Carbondale - feel free to bring family with you. Meals, transportation, parking passes and Rec. Center passes are also free to participants and the SIUC $30 application fee will be either waived or refunded.
Staff can assist through all areas of transition: applying for admission, applying for college credits for military service, registering for classes, meeting with the campus VA counselor and Financial Aid Office to establish military benefits and set up temporary financial aid supplements until benefits are in place, making housing arrangements, learning about adapted computer technologies and exploring career options. Campus tours can be arranged and as well as visits with other campus offices that offer services beneficial to students with injuries: Student Health Program, Counseling Center, Physical Therapy and the Rec. Center.
DSS staff, students, and local veterans are proud to welcome new veterans to the SIUC campus and look forward to assisting in any way we can. Please click on the "Program Flyer" link, print and fill out the application, and mail or fax it to our office. We will contact you to set up a personalized visit. For questions or additional information, contact Kathleen Plesko (kplesko@siu.edu) or Rita VanPelt (rvanpelt@siu.edu).