Student Veterans Association
Obtaining a college degree can be challenging. This is particularly true for student military veterans who often face many obstacles while returning to civilian life. A loss sense of camaraderie, lack of understanding by the general public and a struggle to adapt to a "normal" way of life can be daunting as student veterans push to get their degrees.
To help our student veterans get past these obstacles, Columbia Southern University has created the Student Veterans Association (CSUSVA). This online group offers support services for student veterans and their dependents and a centralized forum containing a variety of resources geared toward the unique needs of military veterans.
The main purpose of the CSUSVA is to provide centralized, easy-to-use services that address a full range of needs including: financial aid assistance, VA benefits assistance, academic support, disability services, employment assistance, social networking and references to veteran service organizations (VSO). CSU students who are currently utilizing VA benefits and MyCAA program participants are automatically considered members of CSUSVA.
Some of the benefits of membership in the CSUSVA are:
- One-stop source for information regarding various benefits available to veterans.
- Assistance with concerns and questions regarding individual GI Bill entitlements.
- SVA conference information.
- Assistance with connecting with students who are close to you geographically. The SVA website provides a search engine to help you locate chapters.
- Social networking opportunities with CSUSVA members via Facebook and Twitter.
- SVA scholarships awarded every fall.
- Employment assistance through SVA's Employment Initiative.
CSUSVA priorities include:
- Pre-professional networking opportunities for members.
- Live chat with CSUSVA through the CSU website.
- Free military-centered podcasts.
- Continuing advocacy on behalf of all student veterans at the local, state and national level.
CSUSVA is just one student veterans group out of a coalition of more than 323 Student Veterans of America chapters across the United States. SVA has two major components: the executive staff and student veterans groups. According to the SVA website, member chapters are student groups formed on college and university campuses to provide peer-to-peer networks for veterans who are attending those schools.
You can access CSUSVA via the Student Veterans of America online chapter portal at www.studentveterans.org/member/csusva.