The Veterans Services Office at MCC provides many services to former military personnel who decide to go to college.
The purpose of the Veterans Services Office is to assist veterans with the transition from military life to civilian college life.
One of the primary functions of the office is to help veterans understand their educational benefits.
Most educational benefits are monthly stipends that range from $900 to $1,500.
These stipends usually have to be used within a certain period. For example, the GI Bill provides 36 months of financial assistance, or 36 monthly payments.
Other stipends include vocational rehab, which is given to veterans who receive a medical discharge, and the Reserve GI Bill, which is for veterans who served in the military reserves. These stipends can be used for tuition, books, and living expenses.
Veterans can also receive book and tuition deferments.
The office also assists veterans with tutoring, peer counseling, medical referrals, job placement and needs due to disabilities.
In addition, the Veterans Services Office offers one-stop registration and advisement for veterans.
Veterans coordinator Valerie Vigil said the peer counseling service is one of the most important services available to veterans because it gives them someone to talk to.
“I remember I had a soldier about five years ago who saw the water irrigation and it reminded him of the rice patties (in Vietnam) and he went off (crying),” Vigil recalled.
Vigil has worked in the Veterans Services Office at MCC for 17 years.
She is also a veteran who served in the Marines for two years.
She said most veterans are so used to the structure of military life that they have a hard time adjusting to the relaxed nature of college life.
Even though veterans can have a hard time making the transition from military to college life, they also have a lot of benefits and advantages.
In addition to educational benefits, veterans can get assistance with their medical and dental needs.
There are some personal benefits for veterans as well.
“The military made me more aware of myself,” said Jonelle Smith, who participates in the veterans work-study program.

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