OCC gives veterans special attention

Orange Coast College now enjoys the distinction of being a “military friendly” school, which means that any veterans who want personal, one-on-one attention will get it from a host of veteran counselors.

The community college used to have one veteran counselor to deal with the veteran population. Today it has seven who will devote special attention to veterans who are either returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, or have simply served their country and are now looking to take advantage of the GI Bill.

And rest assured, OCC officials say, that when vets or active-duty members of the armed forces walk into the college’s corridors, they will get the most immediate of attention.

Why? Because many veterans deserve it, and some of them are in need of it, said Midge Hill, a veterans certifying official with the college.

“Many of them have been away for four or five years, and now they’re coming back to school, and unfortunately we speak a foreign language to many of them,” Hill said. “What is ‘matriculation’? What is ‘articulation’? What is ‘general education path’?”

A lot of educational catchphrases might not make much sense to the war-experienced veterans or those who have been out of the loop for a while, Hill said.

Additionally, the veterans will also get one-on-one orientations of the campus, something that’s usually conducted in groups of 50 students or more, Hill said.

By becoming a military-friendly school, OCC joins the ranks of 15% of the nation’s colleges, junior colleges and universities that hold such a distinction, Hill said.

A couple of other perks now enjoyed by veterans under the label of “military friendly” include their being allowed to enroll immediately in classes not requiring prerequisites, Hill said.

Also, the payment of tuition can be deferred, depending on the financial cases of the veterans, Hill said.

Of the estimated 20,000 students who attend OCC each year, 600 to 800 of them are veterans, Hill said, adding that many come to Orange County from Marine bases at Twentynine Palms or Camp Pendleton, and, in some cases, out of state.

Of that number, at least 350 are taking advantage of the GI Bill, which gives them nearly $2,200 a month for basic housing expenses.

To qualify for the GI Bill, however, you must have served active duty post-9/11, Hill said.

How To Enroll

Call (714) 432-5072, then hold for a representative, then have him or her transfer you to Midge Hill, the veterans certifying official.