Sacramento State has joined other California State University campuses in establishing a program intended to make the transition from military life to civilian life a smoother one for troops coming home.

The program, Troops to College, was created in March 2007 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to urge more veterans to attend California’s public higher education institutions.

The goal of the program is to make veterans who aware of the opportunities available to help them reach those goals of higher education, like scholarship assistance.

The program provides veterans with available opportunities through public service announcements, job fairs and by touring military bases.

Every year, Sac State has an average of 650 to 700 certified veteran students, said Jeff Weston, coordinator for the Veterans’ Affairs Office. Certified veteran students refer to those who are receiving help from the GI Bill, formally known as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944.

The GI Bill was passed in 1944 to prevent what happened in the United States after World War I, where home-bound veterans only received a train ticket home and a small amount of money.

Through this bill, veterans are provided with government assistance to attend the college or vocational school of their choice with the offer of low interest home loans. Troops to College provides information on similar opportunities to veteran students.

The amount of veterans at Sac State has increased throughout the years, said Weston, a veteran who served in the Air Force for four years before he was medically discharged.

“Seventy-five percent of our reservists (at Sac State) have seen time in the middle east since (Sept. 11),” Weston said.Troops to College was created for troops coming out of service to help them adjust to life outside the military, which can be difficult for veterans, Weston said.

“You get out of a lifestyle that is pretty rigid, inflexible and you always have a web of people around you,” Weston said. “When they transition back to civilian lifestyle, it’s hard because it’s more relaxed and more casual.”

His advice to veterans interested in returning to college is to contact the Veterans’ Affairs Office, where representatives are available to guide them and help them make the transition process easier.

Once they get that help, veterans are able to concentrate on taking the necessary classes to graduate.

Sac State student, veteran and President of the Student Veteran Organization Daisy Enriquez said the program is a great way for veterans and friends to meet and talk about ways to help each other.

“It builds camaraderie and you feel a sense of belonging,” Enriquez said.

Enriquez, a third year social work major who served in the Army until August of 2004, said the Veterans’ Affairs Office is a great starting place for returning veterans.

The Veterans’ Affairs Office helped her start the process of returning to school by letting her know what she needed to accomplish in order to register, like the appropriate paperwork and who to send them to.

Peter Clark, treasurer for the Student Veteran Organization since 2007, became involved with the program because of his desire to help veterans.

“I realize that a lot of people don’t know what to do and I have an opportunity to let them know that there are benefits and they can get what they work for,” Clark said, referring to the opportunities already available to troops serving our country.

The most important and hardest parts of the program for troops are breaking the barriers of communication and making veterans aware of Troops to College.

There are constantly new programs and bills being passed to help veterans returning home. For instance, Senate Bill 272 is a piece of legislation that was built from a bill signed into California law in 2000.

The bill, authored by Sen. George Runner, R-Antelope Valley, will allow all U.S. troops to receive in-state tuition regardless of their home state and will give priority registration to veterans returning from active duty. In addition, students who are called away from school during the semester will receive priority registration when they return.

“Men and women who serve our country sacrifice and disrupt their lives and careers. This legislation honors their commitment,” Runner said on his website. “This bill will eliminate burdensome hurdles that cause many veterans to pay out-of-state tuition and ensure they will have priority to register for the college classes they need.”

This means that all veteran students at Sac State will receive priority registration, even over seniors. This will help them get the classes they need as they return home from overseas. The bill will go into effect next semester.

For more information, contact Jeff Weston at the Veterans’ Affairs Office at (916) 278-6733.

Isela Reyes can be reached at [email protected].