February 18, 2009

Student organization for veterans created in Columbus

The Student Veteran Association of Columbus is open to any veteran taking courses at the College of Technology at Columbus, Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus or Ivy Tech's Columbus campus, said Jack Head, assistant director of the Purdue College of Technology at Columbus.

The Student Veteran Association of Columbus is affiliated with the Student Veterans of America, a national coalition of student veterans groups from college campuses across the country. The national group was formed early last year, and its goal is to advocate on behalf of student veterans at the local, state and national level.

Head, who is leading the Columbus group, said veterans who make the transition from servicemember to student often don't know where to get questions answered about benefits available to them, such as academic financial aid, mortgage payment assistance and programs designed to help disabled veterans.

"The Student Veteran Association of Columbus will be a point of contact for these students to get the information they need and to connect with other veterans," Head said. "The College of Technology is proud to be involved with this effort to reach out to veterans and make their transition to student life as smooth as possible."

Students who join the Columbus group will have access to resources available through the national group, such as news about national and regional conferences and other networking opportunities for veterans. Head said that more than 20 students from the three institutions have already joined the group.

Those interested in joining the Student Veteran Association of Columbus can contact Head at (812) 314-8619, jhead@purdue.edu, or Julia Carson, student services secretary, at (812) 314-8526, jgcarson@purdue.edu.

The Purdue College of Technology at Columbus offers bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering technology, computer and information technology, industrial technology, and organizational leadership and supervision. It is one of three educational institutions located at the Columbus Learning Center. Also at the center are Ivy Tech and Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus. The institutions share space at the center but are governed by three separate organizational entities.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Jack Head, (812) 314-8619, jhead@purdue.edu

Julia Carson, (812) 314-8526, jgcarson@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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