Pause to honor sacri_¶ ces: We should _¶ nd more ways to support our veterans

Because classes are not canceled on Veterans Day it is easy to forget that today is even a national holiday.

But it's still important to pause to honor the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform who preserve the cherished freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States.

We have the GI Bill which was signed into law in 1944 by President Roosevelt. And last summer President Bush signed the The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 into law which provides a fully paid college education at a four-year in-state college or university for veterans who have served 36 months or longer.

The University can provide additional assistance where the federal government falls short.

Carolina Veterans Organization a student group has recently announced plans for a $150 to $200 scholarship for all entering veterans to help defray the cost of an education at Carolina.

This is an excellent step in the right direction.

But supporting veterans goes beyond financial assistance. The University should do a better job at helping veterans transition to college life. There are more than 200 veteran students on campus many of whom have specific needs that are not addressed by current services.

For example the University could implement an advising program to help veterans transition to full-time academic life.

Pausing to honor veterans' sacrifices is important but we at UNC also need to think about tangible ways we can ensure veterans have the opportunity to attend college and receive the support they need to succeed in college.