Futures Features: The Veterans Resource Center
The Veterans Resource Center provides support to veterans, military members, and their families as they transition to college and throughout their educational career.
Located on the first floor of the Centennial Student Union in room 168, the Veterans Center is committed to offering comprehensive information and assistance, as well as a welcoming space for students to gather for peer support.
The Veterans Resource Center was created out of legislation in 2006 requiring all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and University of Minnesota institutions to provide space for a Veterans Resource Center and offer services provided by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.
According to the South East Regional Coordinator, David Schrader, Minnesota State Mankato’s Veterans Resource Center is a one-stop shop for comprehensive information about benefits, referrals to campus and career planning resources and other assistance for veterans, military members and military families. The Veterans Resource Center is also a space for students to make connections with fellow veterans and military members and to find ways to support each other at Minnesota State Mankato.
The Veterans Center is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Veterans Center host service providers that provide work with benefits and resources for veterans. It also plays hosts to connections with community organizations and social gatherings.
The Veterans Center is connected with all area resources and services for veterans and military members. This includes the United State Department of Veterans Affairs, the Minnesota Department for Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, and non-profits such as the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. There is also a Veterans Club, a Recognized Student Organization which is separate from the Veterans Resource Center, but the two often work in tandem to provide opportunities for camaraderie and connect student veterans and military members with each other.
Some of the Veterans Centers goals are: to ease the transition of current and former military members, to aid these members identify and access financial resources to fund their education and to connect them with local resources that are available to provide assistance and access to medical care and other personal needs. The Veterans Center hope students can benefit from them by gaining resources to access military and veterans benefits, opportunities to connect with other students and support in becoming a successful student. The Veterans Center also aims to connect militants with other veterans and military members and to help them be successful students, and transition smoothly from college to career.
The Veterans Resource Center was crucial to the university receiving designation as a “Military Friendly School” by G.I. Jobs magazine, as well as U.S. News & World Report, “Best Colleges for Veterans.” The Veterans Center is truly a place to stop by if one just wants to know more about Minnesota State, Mankato and to get valuable information and knowledge on the various resources the school has to offer.