Our Mission
The mission of the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success (VMSS) is to champion veterans, service members, and family members of our country’s Armed Forces in their educational pursuits as they transition from military service through the university to becoming vital community members. We desire to provide nationally recognized education and holistic transition support that will deliver to the local, national, and global workforce a generation of military veterans who are solid thinkers and leaders.
Our vision is to best position veteran and military students to achieve their educational, career, and life goals.
About the VMSS Center
The Veteran and Military Student Success Center is an asset to veteran, active duty, and military family member students. It offers a meeting space where students can study for exams, learn from current students, and find community during their transition back into civilian life. You can rely on and connect at the VMSS, which may become an important part of your journey in higher education. For veteran and military students coming to USCA, making your way into the VMSS and using the resources can set you apart and lead you to success.
Team VMSS
Team VMSS comprises a professional staff that provides a conduit to benefits, scholarship and career opportunities, networking, counseling, and best practices for a successful military-to-community transition. This team represents you; they are also veterans, military service members, and family members, and most are current USCA students.
Academics
You’re returning to get your degree to get into a career you’re passionate about and make a living doing what makes you happy. USCA places emphasis on academic success and has been ranked “#1 Best College in the South” 14 times in a row by U.S. News and World Report. Another huge perk for veteran and military students is the current students who frequent the VMSS. They have been through the class you will take and can be an awesome resource. Bringing in the sense of community the VMSS embodies, the opportunities for academic achievement are abundant if you desire to seek them out.
Student Life and Involvement
USCA emphasizes the importance of student involvement in clubs and organizations. With over 90 to choose from, engaging in one or two you enjoy is easy. Whether it’s Greek life, an honors society, or a club that compliments your studies, you can find any organization at USCA that works for you. You can attend numerous athletic events, like basketball games or tennis matches, and intramural sports that can keep you active and involved. Specifically for veteran and military students, there is the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) and the Pi Alpha Sigma, Veterans Honor Society. The SVO works closely with the VMSS to empower students and provide professional development and social opportunities tailored specifically to our veteran and military students. The Pi Alpha Sigma, Veterans Honor Society was established to provide recognition to the academic achievements of veteran and military students on campus. All VMSS students, including military spouses and family members, are eligible for induction.
The Aiken Community
USCA is interwoven with the community and the city it calls home, and the surrounding areas provide some of the best resources for veteran transition and education. Organizations like Saratoga Warhorse, which assists veterans experiencing invisible, psychological wounds as a result of their military service by providing an equine-assisted experience that initiates empowering life changes, or the Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Charity Golf Classic, an independent non-profit that has raised over $300,000 to benefit CSRA veterans, and has continually supported the VMSS through donations and scholarships (which are open to any USCA veteran and military student!). By embracing the Aiken community and the university culture, you will find every opportunity for success.
If you have any questions about veteran and military student services, opportunities, and ways to succeed at USCA, please contact The Office of Veteran and Military Student Success at [email protected] or 803-643-6767.
VMSS Scholarship
The Office of Veteran and Military Student Success will open the scholarship application for the academic year 2025-2026 on March 12, 2025. The application will remain open through July 1, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. If you are a Veteran, Military Service Member, Military Spouse, or Military Family Member, please click the link below to start your VMSS Scholarship application. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the scholarship application, please contact Tristan Stone, VMSS Program Coordinator, at 803-643-6768 or [email protected].
USCA is a highly ranked military-friendly university
Check out our rankings at Military Times.