New Penn State website streamlines University support for military veterans

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new Penn State website is streamlining the way Pennsylvania military veterans get access to important information to begin their studies at the University.

The website, www.veteran.psu.edu, provides servicemen and women a single place to request information about undergraduate and graduate programs that are offered online and through classroom instruction. The website also has useful information on veteran services offered across all Penn State campuses and ways to finance an education.

When someone submits a request for information through the website, an adult learning coordinator at one of Penn State’s 22 campuses will respond by email with links about using G.I. Bill benefits, student aid and applying for admission to the University. The veterans also must select the campus where they would like to enroll.

“The University and the World Campus have demonstrated successes in supporting military veterans, active-duty servicemembers, and National Guard members and reservists over the years,” said Craig Weidemann, vice president for Outreach and vice provost for Online Education. “The new website is a continuation of that work, and it will allow us to extend our strengths across the Penn State system to ensure that all veteran students have consistent support when they make contact with us."

The website is part of a broader University-wide initiative to build upon Penn State’s already strong tradition as a veteran-friendly institution and to grow veteran enrollment.

When a student uses the website to request information and wants to attend the University Park campus, he or she will be contacted by Ted Timmerman, the associate director and outreach coordinator of Veterans Programs.

"Anything that helps direct the veterans to the proper office in Penn State is important," Timmerman said.

The website is an especially important development for the commonwealth campuses, which are the choice for many veterans to enroll because those campuses are located close to home. When a commonwealth campus is selected as the veteran’s choice for enrolling, a designated adult learning coordinator at that campus will follow up with him or her.

"The University strives to be a welcoming place for our veteran students," said Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses. “Veteran students deserve a streamlined approach to access the information they seek to initiate their Penn State education. We, in turn, benefit from a streamlined way of offering assistance and responding to their individual needs. The website provides a mechanism to accomplish all that, and I am thrilled that it has been implemented University-wide."

The website also is yet another initiative the University has developed to assist veterans with getting an education at Penn State. The University also gives military veterans priority registration for classes and the Office of Veterans Programs assists these students with benefits, enrollment and career services.

Those two resources were recognized by U.S. News and World Report in November 2013 when it honored Penn State as the No. 1 national university for veterans.

More than 3,900 veterans were enrolled at Penn State in 2013-14, an increase of 11 percent from 2012-13. Penn State World Campus had the highest number among all campuses, with 1,622 veterans taking courses online.

Development of the website was a collaborative effort among World Campus, the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, Undergraduate Admissions and Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses.