Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) today hosted a roundtable at Florida Atlantic University with local colleges and universities about resources available to student veterans in South Florida. Frankel focused on the Veterans Education Empowerment Act, legislation that would allow the Department of Education to help establish veteran student centers.

“Veterans have stood up for us, now it's time for us to stand up for them,” said Congresswoman Frankel. “Creating on-campus communities for student veterans will help ease the transition from military to student life by providing networking opportunities, assistance with federal benefits, and career services.”

The Veterans Education Empowerment Act, bipartisan legislation Frankel introduced with Congressmen Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Mark Takano (CA-14), creates a grant program through the Department of Education for colleges and universities to implement veteran student centers. Institutions enrolling more than 15,000 students, where more than one percent of students are veterans, would be eligible for these grants and would be capped at $500,000 per school.

These centers would help student veterans obtain federal and state benefits, succeed in school, and find a job after graduation.

In Palm Beach and Broward Counties, Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University, Palm Beach State University, and Broward College would all be eligible for the Department of Education grants. 

The Veterans Education Empowerment Act has been endorsed by over a dozen veteran service organizations including the Student Veterans of America, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Mission United, and Veterans Trust

Full text of the legislation can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/ANu5.

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