[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 197 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5690-S5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               RECOGNIZING THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

 Mr. WICKER. Madam President, today I congratulate the 
leadership, faculty, staff, and students of my alma

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mater, the University of Mississippi. Military Times, a publication 
that provides news and resources related to our military services, 
recently highlighted the ways Ole Miss honors our Nation's veterans. It 
placed Ole Miss in prominent positions on its ``Best for Vets'' lists, 
ranking it as the top Southeastern Conference--SEC--school and fifth-
best university in the Nation. The Best for Vets list is the largest 
and most comprehensive ranking of schools for military servicemembers 
and veterans. It is compiled from a survey of 325 higher education 
institutions around the Nation, gathering information on their 
resources, opportunities, and success rates for veteran students.
  The University of Mississippi is committed to student veterans and 
our Nation's military. The university established its first student 
veteran organization in 1920, following World War I. Over 1,900 Ole 
Miss students--more than 10 percent of the student body--have military 
service connections or are veterans. Ole Miss provides focused and 
dedicated support resources for veterans on campus, including the 
Office of Veteran and Military Services, which sits in the George 
Street House at the heart of campus. This office was opened in 2013 to 
support Global War on Terror veterans, and it has become a critical 
stop for student veterans. It helps them access G.I. Bill and Veterans 
Affairs benefits, study resources, and scholarship applications.
  Ole Miss has set the standard for veteran healthcare support. It 
created the Veteran Treatment Team to allow student veterans to access 
healthcare directly on campus. Now, these students do not have to 
commute to full-scale Veterans Affairs clinics and medical centers for 
routine treatments. Professionals at the university's mental health 
clinics are trained in specific military-related mental health issues 
and lead peer support group meetings and workshops for veterans. This 
reduces the load on the Veterans Affairs system and supports deeper 
veteran integration into the student body. The university even added a 
staff counselor focused on veterans and active military issues, 
bringing mental health resources directly to student veterans.
  I commend the Military Times for recognizing and honoring Ole Miss' 
good work. I am certain that the university will continue these efforts 
in the years to come, seeing and supporting the needs of student 
veterans from this new generation of military servicemembers.

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