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VA's Shinseki speaks at USF veterans conference today

AP file photo

Eric Shinseki is a Vetnam combat veteran who served as Army chief of staff following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

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TBO.com

Published: November 6, 2009

TAMPA - Eric Shinseki, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, speaks at 12:30 p.m. today during a daylong conference at the University of South Florida on college education for the nation's veterans.

Shinseki, a Vietnam combat veteran who served as Army chief of staff after the 2001 terrorist attacks, delivers the keynote address during lunch at the Marshall Student Center. Gov. Charlie Crist will speak at noon.

This year, USF became the first university in the nation to work with the VA in creating VetSuccess, a program offering special one-stop guidance and services for veterans who are using the new G.I. Bill. The bill covers tuition and other expenses for those serving in the armed forces after 2001.

The number of veterans in a state college or community college went up by 75 percent this fall, from nearly 8,000 last year to 14,000 this year. The increase is smaller at the four-year universities, but a state Board of Governors official, Richard Stevens, warned in an e-mail to USF that a "tidal wave is approaching" as students transfer into them.

Veterans advocates say the growth is to be expected with more than 185,000 Floridians wearing the uniform since 2001. Only Texas has more.

More than 250 people from colleges and universities throughout the state of Florida are expected to attend the USF conference, titled "Uniforms to Mortarboards", to plan strategies and share best practices on serving a new generation of veterans.

"We are only beginning to appreciate the challenges of reintegration for our nation's veterans and it is only through cooperation, collaboration and the sharing of best practices that we as institutions can be sure we are meeting our obligation to them," said USF President Judy Genshaft.

http://veterans.usf.edu/conference.asp

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