Northwestern celebrates Veterans Day, aims to improve support for student veterans

Linnea Narducci/The Daily Northwestern

Evanston residents and local veterans groups gather at Fountain Square on Friday for the city’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. Northwestern also held events to honor veterans on campus, and the University is aiming to provide more resources for student veterans.

Yvonne Kim, Assistant Campus Editor

With an increased enrollment of veterans at Northwestern, the University is aiming to provide more resources for student veterans, dean of students Todd Adams said in a news release.

Earlier this year, administrators approved a committee aiming to improve support for student veterans. On Friday, NU honored veterans during the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps’ annual Veterans Day celebration and an event held by the Kellogg School of Management.

Julia Jenkins, associate director of financial aid, said 239 veterans are attending NU this fall. The number includes those on active duty as well as dependents receiving benefits, and there may be other students who have not identified themselves as veterans to the University, she said. There were 222 student veterans enrolled at NU last year.

“We’ve definitely been seeing an increase in the number of veterans enrolling during the past four to five years,” Jenkins said in the news release.

The University is also attempting to improve its relationship with the U.S. Army. According to the news release, NU is increasing its financial support for the Yellow Ribbon Program, a Department of Defense effort that helps provide resources for service members and families.

The University plans to provide $100,000 in funding for the Yellow Ribbon Program to help more veterans enroll at NU.

Adams said administrators from the Office of the Provost, the School of Professional Studies, Student Affairs and other offices will work to provide more resources for student veterans.

“This year we plan to inventory the current services offered to veterans across the University, take a look at best practices, both internally and at other institutions, and determine what unmet needs might exist,” Adams said in the news release.

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Twitter: @yvonneekimm