By Ashley Festa
Since the Post 9/11 GI Bill was approved, there have been many questions among veterans regarding how to use the benefits for academic success. Karen Wyatt, the university’s new veterans affairs coordinator and military undergraduate academic adviser, assists student veterans with these questions. As a veteran herself, she used her VA benefits to earn her undergraduate degree at UIW and is currently working toward a graduate degree, so she is personally familiar with many of the questions that students face while making the transition from active duty service member to student.
“As a veteran, I am so pleased to be in a position to help other veterans achieve their personal and professional goals of obtaining a degree here at UIW,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt is housed at the new Center for Veterans Affairs, which held its grand opening on Oct. 30. The center provides resources to veterans, including VA forms and information, onsite UIW assistant registrar and business office representatives and computer, printer and copier/fax.
G.I. Jobs also recognized Incarnate Word’s efforts in making higher education easier for military students. UIW was named on the 2010 list of Military Friendly Schools. The university was in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.
Visit the Center for Veteran’s Affairs web site at http://www.uiw.edu/veterans to learn more about tuition discounts and scholarships for veterans.