The adjustment to college life is a difficult transition for many students. The choices, the freedom, the responsibility, can all be daunting for any student. The difficulty adapting to a collegiate lifestyle increases exponentially for students just getting out of the military.

The structured environment of the military is completely opposite of the freedom in a college. "You know what happens every day of the week. You don't have to make choices, and may not have the skills to do so," said Carol Oyster, advisor of the Student Veterans Association at UW-La Crosse.

Veterans are not without assistance in their transition. "Depending on the type and length of service, veterans receive different levels of tuition assistance and/or stipends," said Kathy Hollon, who serves as UW-L's Veteran's Benefits Coordinator. She is responsible for assisting student veterans in filling out their paperwork to receive their benefits. "I feel like we do a good job getting these students what they're supposed to," said Hollon.

While the Veteran's Benefits Coordinator is able to handle the paperwork aspect, and the Veterans Association is available to assist the transition to college life and mentor incoming veteran students. However, UW-L still lacks a formal veteran liaison for the 200 veterans on campus. "The challenges (of being a veteran and a student) have been unrecognized until recently," says Mark Braatz, Viterbo's Student Veterans Service Point of Contact.

Braatz himself served in the army for 27 years, and has first hand experience in adjusting from the military to university life. He is currently majoring in business education at Viterbo. "I understand veterans and their needs," says Braatz, "I can help them get the services they need." While he serves in a similar capacity as the Veteran's Benefits Coordinator, Braatz also serves in a capacity similar to that of a counselor.

"It's a growing group, and we all owe them a huge debt," said Braatz. As for his reasons in taking the job? "There was no one else on campus doing it," said Braatz.

UW-L may be in the market to fill a similar position in the near future. According to both Oyster and the Office of Records and Registration, there have been talks to hire someone to serve as some type of veteran's liaison. However, it is unknown what the position would officially entail. "We've been trying to define the new position," said Oyster, citing the primary reason it has not been officially sanctioned as of yet.