Mississippi universities drawing in veterans from across the nation

• Lawmakers hear from Southern Miss, Miss. State and Ole Miss on how their universities are connecting veterans and military connected students to education options in the Magnolia State.

Members of the state Senate’s Universities and Colleges Committee were updated this week about the various benefits provided to veterans and military connected students attending Mississippi’s universities.

The “Big 3” universities in Mississippi told lawmakers of the benefits their programs provide to veterans to make the transition from military service to college smoother and more successful. 

Military connected students are those who may not have served in the military, but rather are children of those who served.

Representatives from the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi, and Mississippi State University said the average age of a military college student falls in line with the age range of non-traditional college students, which is between 21 to 26 years of age.  On average, veterans require about five years to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Veterans programs offered at the universities can assist potential students with receiving their VA Education Entitlements, finding financial assistance with books and food, and connecting them with medical services on campus. Job training and experience in working in professional settings is also provided. 

Retired Army General Jeff Hammond, who now serves as USM’s Director of Veteran and Military Affairs, described how veterans often need structure and challenge to do their best in college. 

“These military kids, they want to be pushed and challenged. They really do,” Hammond said. 

Veterans often face doubts and fears when entering a college classroom because they may not fit in with the rest of the traditional student body. Additionally, many joined the military after high school because they did not score high on the ACT. However, Hammond said the military has prepared them mentally for the challenges of university life and they have their heart in earning that degree. 

Programs offered in Mississippi are drawing in veterans from across the nation. Through recruitment efforts, USM reports bringing in students from as far away as San Diego, California.

“We spend a lot of time reaching out to not only the greatest National Guard in the nation today here in Mississippi but also the active-duty members and their children as well,” Hammond said. 

The top degrees veterans are pursuing tend to be in cybersecurity, criminal justice, construction management, industrial engineering technology, elementary/secondary education, business administration, and library and information science, Hammond said of USM’s veteran student body.

Popular degrees for military students at Mississippi State University include computer and aerospace engineering, meteorology and geo-sciences, General Andrew Rendon, MSU’s Executive Director for Veterans and Military Affairs, described.

“As military veterans and service members enhance their specialities with these types of degrees we believe their competitiveness in the workforce will skyrocket,” Rendon added. 

Due to the work many veterans performed during their military service, credit transfers are also offered for applicable experience, such as those who worked in cybersecurity jobs. 

The percentage of veterans who make up the student body ranges from 8 percent at the University of Mississippi to 14 percent at Mississippi State University. 

To help ensure the veterans have the assistance they need to succeed in the university setting, each campus has a facility and/or set of services that caters to those needs, such as USM’s Quinlan-Hammond Hall of Honor. Hammond said USM’s facility is a place where veterans can regroup and destress, when necessary, while also finding academic assistance.