Military and Veterans Service office at Southeast Missouri State University helps hundreds of veteran students with financial aid and GI Bills each year.

According to Outreach Coordinator Amanda Woods, the office helps approximately 1,100 Southeast students each year find the correct benefits, scholarships and financial aid as well as assure these students are taking the correct classes toward their major.

"It can be sometimes tricky for the student to understand their benefits and how to receive them, that is where we come in to help," Woods said.

These 1,100 students, approximately 500 veterans and 600 dependants (spouses and children or veterans), begin working with Woods on their benefits before their classes begin.

According to Woods, each student must first come into the office and work with staff by explaining their service history.

"It depends on how long the student has served to how much benefits they are eligible for, though we always try to get each student the maximum of their benefit," Woods said.

After the service history is completed, Woods will help the student fill out the Veterans Affairs application and submit the proper paperwork. The paperwork can range from discharge papers to birth certificates.

Once the paperwork has been completed the office then works with the student and their adviser to make sure the student is taking the right classes for their major in order for them to receive benefits.

Woods said these benefits can cover full tuition and give the student a housing and books stipend lasting for the 48 months the student would be taking classes.

According to Woods, students can be not only eligible for one or more GI Bills, but also for both state and federal aid such as pell grants and student loans, as well as endowed scholarships.

"Last year, we were able to give away around $12,000 in endowed scholarships," Woods said.

Though Southeast and the state are looking at budget cuts in the coming year, Woods said veterans benefits will not be affected due to the benefits being part of federal aid.

"It would take an act of Congress to remove this aid," Woods said.

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