Oakland University hosts monthly visits from a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) that is responsible for helping Golden Grizzlies get the most out of their education.
Veterans Support Services (VSS) helps individuals who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as students and faculty who are themselves, or are directly affiliated with U.S. veterans, integrate back into everyday life.
The VSO present for February’s meeting was Lisa Messenco, a worker for The American Legion. She was present to explain the utility that the 2022 law, The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, provides for veterans’ healthcare benefits. She also mentioned the Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E), which addresses education benefits for student veterans.
The coordinator of the monthly VSO visits, Lisa Rhoades, explained that there are numerous benefits present for veterans to aid them in everyday life, other than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The flyer for the event mentioned benefits such as, “Pact Act benefits, increasing disability ratings, health care benefits, and more.” It further explains that VSOs can help by leading veterans to “connect with our VSS coordinator on applying for VR&E if you are a disabled Veteran.”
“In summary, this act is a law that expands the list of the type, places and times of exposure to toxic substances that veterans have experienced. It has greatly expanded the opportunities for veterans to use VA healthcare benefits and other benefits related to their time in service.” Rhoades explained. “As a student, the PACT Act will allow our young student veterans to access VA healthcare now and have their long-term health evaluated and managed with early intervention.”
In regards to the VR&E, Rhoades explains “that [it] is an education benefit, okay? So, if a service member sustains an injury enough to give them a disability rating of at least 10%, then they can use Veteran Readiness and Employment as their education benefit, and it helps include a career that does not exacerbate their disability.”
Rhoades further clarifies that a VSO can further aid students to ensure that the VR&E is used properly and fully by adjusting students’ ratings in comparison to their needs.
“That’s one thing that our VSO does; she can help students say they have a 20% disability rating, but they want to increase that because they have other ailments that didn’t get rated initially,” Rhoades said. “So that is the part that she can help with, is to increase their disability rating through the VA.”
The VSS Office ensures that their resources are readily available to all veterans and that it works with VSOs and members of the American Legion to fully support students.
“That’s where I come in,” Rhoades said. “I help them understand the educational benefits, how to apply for them, why it is more beneficial than using just your post 9/11. And one of the benefits for VR&E is that they get a counselor directly from the VA.”
The aforementioned Post-9/11 GI Bill is one, created by Senator Jim Webb, that
“helps you pay for school or cover expenses while you’re training for a job.” The VA website states.
“[VR&E is] a huge topic of discussion among veterans using education benefits. And that’s kind of what spurred us on to get a VSO to come into the office,” Rhoades said. “Because a lot of them do have a disability rating, they want to get it increased, and that’s more so that they can get other VA benefits.”
