At a joint meeting of the Mississippi Legislature's military affairs committee and the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) committee, leaders from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and Mississippi State University (MSU) described programs aimed at helping military-connected students enroll, transfer credit and graduate.

The universities emphasized a mix of privately funded facilities, dedicated staff and formal credit-transfer processes — including the Department of Defense's Joint Service Transcript (JST) and the post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) — to support veterans, active-duty members, National Guard personnel and their dependents.

Why it matters: committee members said they want clearer statewide data and a better sense of funding gaps before deciding on new legislation. Senators on the panel raised concerns that broad policy language could unintentionally limit services that rely on a combination of private gifts, institutional waivers and federal benefits.

University of Southern Mississippi: intensive, hands-on support

Chad Driscoll, director of USM's military programs, introduced retired Major General Jeff Hammond, who said USM built a campus program over roughly a decade that now serves a substantially larger student-veteran population than it did at its start. "We made the investment. We started this program about 10 years ago with about 300 kids. We're over 1,870 now," Hammond said.

Hammond described a program model that pairs strict expectations of professional conduct and early faculty engagement with a comprehensive wraparound of supports: two full‑time veteran service officers, a VA-funded Vet Success on Campus officer, paid tutoring and food assistance. "We have a policy ... you will meet with [faculty] within the first week of class," Hammond said, describing the program's emphasis on early intervention.

He said USM funds more than 25 scholarship endowments for military students, pays the difference between some federal tuition assistance and actual tuition, and spends "about $10,000 every quarter" on meal gift cards for students. Hammond also described a multi‑million‑dollar veteran center on campus that he said was paid for entirely with private donations and opened in the last two years.

University of Mississippi: centralized services and embedded counseling

Perry Sansing, speaking for the University of Mississippi, described a "one‑stop shop" veterans center (the George Street House) offering paperwork assistance, study space and, more recently, an embedded counselor. Sansing said the university fields a substantial military-connected student population and highlighted signature programs such as Yellow Ribbon participation and Purple Heart campus recognition. He said the university uses campus placements and SkillBridge partnerships to help students move from study to paid work.

Sansing told the committee he would provide follow‑up information on graduation rates and credit-transfer details after the hearing.

Mississippi State University: campus centralization and tuition waivers

Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University, said MSU serves "more than 3,000 students" through the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Center for America's Veterans and cited campus investments including a privately funded veteran facility in the center of campus. "Mississippi State University is one of the most veteran-friendly universities in the entire nation," Keenum said.

Andrew Rendon, MSU executive director for veterans and military affairs and a Mississippi National Guard brigadier general, outlined MSU practices: early registration for veteran students, military transcript acceptance processes, targeted recruiting and a history of private philanthropic gifts used to build facilities. Rendon said MSU received IHL approval to waive out‑of‑state tuition for military-connected students and that the university granted more than 1,200 out‑of‑state waivers last year.

Credit transfer and timelines

Speakers at all three institutions described reliance on the Joint Service Transcript (JST) to capture military coursework and training. Hammond and Rendon said JSTs reduce friction but do not automatically guarantee academic credit: individual departments review and decide which courses transfer.

On time to degree, presenters said timelines vary by incoming preparation. Hammond said students with little prior college coursework often take about five years to graduate; those who transfer credits or have prior coursework typically graduate faster. Rendon and Keenum echoed similar ranges and said universities are working to reduce time to degree through advising and veterans-centered programming.

Lawmakers' questions and next steps

Senator Delano asked the universities to provide statewide breakouts by category — National Guard, active duty, veterans and dependents — and to identify what kinds of student aid (outside tuition waivers) those groups need. Rendon and Keenum said they are compiling more detailed data for the committees.

Senator Sparks cautioned the Legislature to avoid drafting broadly worded restrictions that could hamper veteran programs, noting some services are protected or supported by federal rules and a mix of private and public funds. "This legislature needs to be very careful in crafting any legislation. Otherwise, we're going to tie your hands," Sparks said.

The committees asked university representatives to provide follow‑up materials on graduation rates, credit-transfers, and the mix of public and private funding supporting veteran services.

The hearing closed with university staff offering to provide the requested data and the committees signaling an interest in coordinating with institutions to ensure programs remain effective and adequately funded.