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From battle to books
Towson named
military friendly
school by G.I.
Jobs magazine
ASHLEY RABE
Senior Editor
After returning from secluded
battlefields to crowded mall parking
lots, from fatigues and combat boots
to jeans and baseball caps, some sol¬
diers set a new goal: college.
Providing funds for veterans to
receive a degree, Towson has been
named a top military friendly school
by G.I. Jobs magazine.
"Lots of kids I go to college with,
they just don't have any idea. They’re
just there. Their parents are paying
for college or they’re taking out col¬
lege loans... they don’t know any
hardships or anything," TU military
veteran Matthew Kramme said.
Towson as a whole is veteran
friendly, fellow TU military veteran
Timothy David Scott said.
"I’m not sure you would receive
this kind of treatment at a place
like College Park or Johns Hopkins.
They’re just like, ‘yeah, well thanks
for your service' and then go off, but
Towson, they do an excellent job,"
Scott said.
The grant that Towson offers is
a way of paying respect to returned
veterans, according to University
officials.
"[We have] a 'Thank You’ grant,
which goes to all veterans who com¬
pleted at least a year of active duty
and are eligible for the GI Bill. It’s
$500 for full-time students and $250
for part-time," Tracy Miller, adviser
for the academic advising center
and coordinator for national student
exchange, said.
Miller, who has worked with the
veterans for several years, has a per¬
sonal connection with them.
"In 2004, my son, who was a
Marine sniper, was killed in Iraq. He
planned to enroll in Towson when
he got out of the military. Although 1
couldn’t do anything for him, I real¬
ized I could help his fellow military
people," Miller said. "One of his
Marine buddies... is here, and we
have been working together since
the spring of 2006."
Photo by Casey Prather
Towerlight
Photo illustration by Ben ExleilThe Towerlight
Veterans Timothy David Scott and Matthew Kramme show off their United States Marine Corps tattoos. Both are students at Towson.
Forming a student group for veter¬
ans who have been through similar
experiences has been another item
on Miller's agenda. The Veterans
Group of Towson, now affiliated
with the Student Government
Association, offers support and allies
for soldiers to help make a smooth
transition from battle to books.
"Vets have an even harder time
adjusting than 18-year-olds. In gen¬
eral they are men and women who
have been adjusting to civilian life at
the same time as college life. It’s a
double whammy and many of them
are only weeks and months away
from battle," senior associate vice
president for enrollment manage¬
ment Lonnie McNew said.
McNew credits Miller with the
start to the intense work Towson is
doing to help veterans.
"She’s a gold star mom and she
lost a son in Iraq. She began on her
own to seek out vets that came in
for schooling. She helps steer them
and got the rest of us interested,"
he said.
The Veterans Concerns Committee
that was formed to help aid in mili¬
tary education on campus is hoping
to fill a veteran’s service coordinator
position to help with the transition
and tend to their special needs,
according to McNew.
"Current student veterans have
been surveyed, and recently, the fee
to apply to Towson has been waived
for veterans. The committee will
launch a Web site for our student
veterans with an aim toward stream¬
lining services," Cheryl Mannon-
Harrell, academic management and
information systems specialist for
enrollment management, said.
McNew said they are delighted at
See VETS, page 8
I'm not sure you would receive this
kind of treatment at a place like
College Park or Johns Hopkins.
They’re just like 'yeah, well thanks
for your service’ and then go off,
but Towson, they do an
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