AUM opens ‘one-stop’ shop to serve military veteran students

From navigating the Department of Defense’s tuition assistance program to activating GI Bill benefits, military veterans, active duty military members and their dependents often have unique needs and questions as they navigate the college experience.

Auburn University at Montgomery has opened a new space dedicated to help them receive the answers they need while also accessing the full range of support systems they may need while pursuing their degrees.

On Monday, Nov. 11,

AUM formally opened its new Veteran and Military Resource Center, a place AUM Assistant Director for Veterans Services Rudy Tobias describes as “a one-stop shop.”

Located in Taylor Center 325, the center offers a comfortable space for AUM’s student veterans to study, connect with peers, receive information about benefits available to them, and more. With approximately 800 students self-identifying as veterans, active duty or military dependents, the center will be positioned to serve the needs of a growing and unique campus population.

“Our needs are different than those of the average student,” said Jeniffer Davis, an Air Force veteran and past president of AUM’s Student Veterans of America chapter. “They have created a perfect space for us, a place where study and homework can be done away from the hustle and bustle of the average university setting, a place where unique questions can be answered while helping the individual feel right at home.

“I know that, regardless of my situation, the Veterans and Military Resource Center will always have an answer to my questions.”

AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton said the new center also reinforces the university’s reputation as a campus that is hospitable to and supportive of veterans. AUM has been recognized by Victory Media as a “Military Friendly” school each of the last three years. This past year, AUM earned “silver” status among military friendly schools, the highest ranking among universities in Alabama.