From Soldier to Student

Nearly 1 million soldiers returning from active duty assignments have opted to take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill by enrolling in institutions of higher education. Their absolute focus on military life has turned to their careers and, more importantly, their adjustment to civilian life.

Decompressing from the stress of military service - especially that of combat - can be challenging in the university environment. When a soldier returns with physical or psychological wounds, the burden of readjustment becomes even heavier. Soldiers might struggle with feelings of alienation when interacting with students and professors who have not shared their experiences.

When these stressors are combined with the financial strains of a university education, the transition can become unbearable. Unfortunately, the funds provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill might not always cover the cost of a degree, and the accumulation of fees over time can exhaust these funds and leave our veterans saddled with debt.

The Wounded Eagle Fund

The Georgia Southern University Wounded Eagle Fund was created to help these veterans pursue their dreams of a college education.

The University is sensitive to the many unique hurdles veterans face as they put down their weapons and pick up their books. We strive to ease this transition from soldier to student.

A gift to the Georgia Southern University Wounded Eagle Fund will ensure that wounded warrior students who risked their lives for our freedom will have the opportunity to receive a stipend to offset the costs that the G.I. Bill will not cover. It helps to ensure the successful adjustment of these national heroes and secure their future happiness and productivity.

For the last three years, Georgia Southern has been named a military-friendly school by G.I. Jobs magazine, and is listed in Military Advanced Education & Transition’s "Guide to Military Friendly Colleges and Universities." We are committed to providing aid to our heroes whenever possible, and we are continually working to enhance our reputation as a welcoming place for future warriors and returning veterans. We aim to ensure that as many soldiers as possible have access to an invaluable higher education experience.

Award Criteria

Because available funds are limited, not all veterans are eligible to receive aid from the Wounded Eagle Fund. In order to be awarded support from the program, we at Georgia Southern have determined a list of criteria that must be met. This is to ensure that the veterans most in need of our assistance are the first to receive it.

Recipients must be:

• Enrolled as full-time students during fall or spring semester
• Veteran Wounded Warriors from any branch of service, or their immediate family members (spouse or children)
  
• Maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA
• A member of the Student Veteran Association

In the event no student meets these criteria, consideration will be afforded to:

• A disabled veteran student
• A veteran student Purple Heart recipient
• A veteran student undergoing unforeseen demonstrated hardship

Testimonials and Praise

I applaud your efforts to help veterans improve themselves and make the transition back to civilian life. I attended GSU as an active duty combat vet, earned my BBA in '12, and I wholeheartedly concur that GSU is truly a military-friendly institution. I received timely, professional support from both my academic and military advisers, and I was welcomed by faculty and students alike.

As I prepared to start school full time after a long absence, I shared the concern of many service members that I would be treated differently, that I would be seen as somehow other than normal. Instead, I was given the same courtesy and respect from faculty and staff that every other student enjoyed; moreover, the culture at GSU supports a climate of mutual respect among the students.

I have nothing but good things to say about GSU whenever I have an opportunity to brag about my alma mater. Keep up the outstanding work in support of our veterans.

One more time!

- John-Paul Burca, Captain, U.S. Army

It's just nice to see that Georgia Southern went out of their way to help veterans like myself and giving them something that connects them with other veterans who are wearing those same shoes and not worrying about "How can I pay for this education?

So...where I was proud of my Georgia Southern Heritage before, it's now increased 12,000,000 fold with this!

ROCK THOSE EAGLES!!!

-Trey O'Rourke, RN, MSN, BSN
Georgia Southern University class of '97
Lieutenant Commander, Nurse Corps, Navy, Retired
Former Navy Hospital Corpsmen & Warfare Qualified Fleet Marine Force Corpsmen