Starting college can be intimidating for anyone. New routines. New subjects. New friends. But for military veterans, the transition can be even harder. Where’s the structure? The rules? The squad?

Many haven’t been in a classroom for years, and now they’re navigating everything on their own. They may be 20 years older than many of the students sitting next to them. They may have spouses, children, and full‑time jobs.

That’s why UNLV created the Military & Veteran Services Center (MVSC) in 2012 — to make sure military veterans have the support, resources, and community they need to successfully earn a degree.

Today, the center serves 2,300 military‑affiliated students and family members, up from just 800 when it opened. The average age of UNLV’s veterans is 28. Sixty percent are married. Half have children. And while many receive funding to attend school full-time, most still need a side job to make ends meet. 

Those statistics show the need for academic, social, and administrative support specifically for the military-affiliated student population. 

The MVSC Ecosystem

Staffed by experts in VA education benefits, many of whom are veterans themselves, the center helps students navigate the complex benefits process, while also providing support relating to admissions, certification, and campus resources.

“In the military, people told you what to do, but you had support,” says Ross Bryant, director of the MVSC. “In civilian life, you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, but now you don’t have that support anymore. We are the team that can provide that support.”

For many veterans, accessing their VA education benefits is the main hurdle to success.

That’s where Melissa Barber, associate director of certifying operations at the MVSC, comes in.

Barber’s team handles five different VA benefit chapters, each with its own rules, funding structure, and eligibility requirements. “The most common questions I get are: How do I get certified? How do we get started?”

Barber notes that any university accepting VA education benefits has a team like theirs. But what sets UNLV apart from other universities is its programming beyond the initial paperwork to help ensure a student’s success.

“If there is anything we see that might impact the student’s benefit payments, we reach out,” says Barber. “For example, maybe they’re required to do at least one class in person, and we notice they’re signed up for all online classes. We take our role seriously. If we mess up, it might impact their payment, which might impact whether they can pay their bills.”

Once a student has been approved for their benefits, the team’s focus shifts to assisting them with navigating the sometimes-abrupt transition into college life.

The MVSC operates Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE), a peer-to-peer support program founded at the University of Michigan and operating on 23 campuses nationwide. UNLV is the only university in Nevada that offers it.

“[The program’s organizers] realized that veterans getting out of the military and into higher education were dropping out of school,” says Dwayne Gordon, associate director of veteran outreach who oversees PAVE. “Higher education was a little too much for them, and they were dealing with a lot of transitional issues. So, they said, let’s find a solution.”

PAVE pairs incoming student veterans with peers who have acclimated to campus. “They help pave the way, literally” Gordon says.

Another thing that sets the MVSC apart? The amount of proactive outreach its team conducts.

“Anytime someone notes they’re using VA education benefits on their admissions packet, we invite them to student veteran orientation,” says Gordon. “We’ve found that the most successful student veterans are the ones who get connected quickly and know the resources are here. The ones not so successful tend to isolate or not connect with their peer advisor.”

UNLV also operates a full-time office at Nellis Air Force Base, extending the MVSC’s mission directly onto the base and providing academic advising, admissions support, and degree exploration for active-duty service members and their families. 

Rebel Vets Student Organization

Veterans often arrive on campus carrying a distinct set of experiences and needs.

“Veterans have academic rustiness,” Bryant says. “They’ve been in places where a crowd isn’t a good thing. They are anxious about walking around campus. Also, it’s hard to relate to anyone. If you were in the military for 20-plus years like me, you used to be somebody. But now you’re just a regular student.”

Gordon sees similar patterns. “We used to see a lot of transitional issues, like, ‘I’m in over my head.’ But the last few semesters there have been a lot of issues related to anxiety, stress, balancing coursework with family, and student financial issues.”

For Christina McGregor — a veteran student herself and the president of Rebel Vets, UNLV’s nationally recognized chapter of Student Veterans of America — the number one challenge is combating the isolation many veterans face.

“Veteran students just want to find a community where they belong,” she says. “We’re coming in at a later stage in life. We’ve had children. We’ve deployed. We’ve lived in other countries. And we’re going into classrooms with kids who are our kids’ age. So where do you fit in? I realized there was a need for connection and community.”

Working alongside the MVSC, Rebel Vets helps fill that void. With more than 180 active members, the student group holds monthly meetings, community events and professional development workshops, and partners with local veteran organizations.

“For Rebel Vets to be successful, we need the teamwork with MVSC and PAVE,” says McGregor. “It’s an ecosystem. The center provides the benefits and resources. We build that camaraderie, that connection, and make them feel like they’re not alone.”

Nathan Rosas, Rebel Vets vice president, agrees. “For veterans, community is very important. It’s dangerous for veterans to be alone. Getting involved, having a support group of peers, having resources available is crucial to success not just on campus but in life.”

Why This Work Matters

The MVSC’s staff has countless stories of students whose lives were transformed by the support they received.

Bryant recalls one veteran severely injured in Fallujah when his vehicle hit an IED. “Everyone in the vehicle was killed except him,” Bryant says. “Anywhere along his journey he could have said, ‘I have a disability check now for the rest of my life. I’ve done my time.’ But he’s driven to not allow that day to destroy him.” 

That veteran went on to earn a graduate degree at UNLV and became a family practice doctor at the VA.

Gordon remembers another student going through a marital separation. “He slept in his car for a month and a half before he came to see us. We got him out of his car and into a dorm room on campus and provided him resources to help with his mental health. Seeing him at the veteran graduation reception a year later, it touched my heart to know we’d been able to help him be successful.”

McGregor, who was a PAVE mentor, recalls watching one of her paired students slowly rebuild his trust and confidence. “I saw this person make so many changes. That’s when I knew I was in the right place. Day by day, week by week, he slowly started to trust the community that was there.”

McGregor also has her own personal testimonial as a military veteran student who utilized MVSC’s services when she first started graduate school.

“When I stepped into that office, my favorite person in the world, Ross, greeted me,” says McGregor. “You never think the actual director is going to take the time to sit with you. I don’t know if other universities have a Ross, but we do, and he was the game changer for me. I instantly knew I had someone on my side who wanted me to succeed.”

A Changing Population

When the center first opened in 2012, most of the students it served were recently separated veterans returning from combat deployments. But the population has shifted dramatically in recent years.

“As a retention tool, the military allows you to transfer your education benefits to your kids if you stay in long enough,” Bryant explains. “So now 50 percent of the students we serve are family members.” 

Many of those dependents thrive on campus. “They moved around a lot as kids and learned how to transition. They seem to be more adaptable, they make friends faster, and get connected faster.”

Gordon sees the same trend and has changed his hiring approach for the PAVE peer mentoring program to meet the evolving need. “I now hire students who don’t have a military background so they can relate to the children of the veterans.”

One of those students is Julia Edwards, whose story reflects the new generation of military-affiliated learners. Edwards didn’t grow up in the military, but her mother was an Air Force veteran who had been medically retired after a serious car accident. That made her eligible for Chapter 35 education benefits, which she didn’t even know existed until the VA sent her a letter just before she started college.

“I had found the office online and made an appointment to talk to Ross about my situation,” she says. “He explained the whole process. Overall, it was pretty straightforward because I had Ross helping me. If I had done it on my own with no guidance, it would have been much more confusing.”

Edwards used her benefits to complete her undergraduate degree in biology, eventually becoming a student worker in the MVSC.

“When I first walked into the office, I was like a deer in the headlights. I didn’t know if I should even be there because it’s heavily military focused,” says Edwards. “But the team does a great job explaining why military family members are important too.”

Looking Ahead

Despite the support UNLV is already providing to the military-affiliated community, students and staff alike see opportunities for continued growth, including the possibility of a dedicated veterans lounge.

“I would love to see a veterans lounge,” says Rosas. “To have a big space where veterans can hang out, where you’re guaranteed to be surrounded by veterans so it makes it more comfortable — I would love to see that.”

Rebel Vets president McGregor agrees. “In comparing our university to others, everyone is trying different things. UNR has a veterans lounge, but we don’t yet. We have UNLV’s support, so we continually bounce ideas off each other, there is always more we can do.”

Both McGregor and Rosas just hope that prospective students understand there is a vibrant veteran community at UNLV.

“We’re ready to greet you and help you along that journey,” McGregor says. “You’re not alone.”

Rosas echoes the sentiment: “There are a lot of unknowns going to school, especially as an older student. But the MVSC goes out of its way to get rid of those unknowns for you.” 

As for Bryant, who has led the MVSC since its inception 14 years ago, it’s all about serving those who have selflessly served their country. “I want more of these veterans to be successful, graduate, and have the life and career they deserve. I want to see one become the next governor.”