Trident Tech sees increased veteran enrollment

Steven Johnson knew of only one way to get a college education without debt, so he enlisted in the Navy.

After serving for six years, which included working as a hospital corpsman on a surgical team in Afghanistan, Johnson, 27, is now taking advantage of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill and working toward a degree in nursing at Trident Technical College.

"This is a military town," he said of Charleston, "so I knew the school would be used to working with veterans."

Johnson is right about that.

Trident Technical College has one of the largest enrollments of veterans among the state's two- and four-year colleges. It was also named one of the nation's "Military Friendly Schools" by G.I. Jobs magazine.

Elise Davis-McFarland, Trident's vice president for student services, said serving veterans well is important to the college, and Trident continues to beef up its services. "We see it as a responsibility to the community and to veterans who have served us and their country," she said.

Trident has programs to help veterans from before they enroll in college through graduation, she said. And the school opened the Vets Center on campus in August, with a grant from the American Council on Education and WalMart. The center has computers, printers and study space for veterans. It also has couches, tables, a coffee maker and a refrigerator so veterans have a place to relax and help each other.

Trident was one only 20 colleges in the country to land such a grant, Davis-McFarland said.

Read more in Monday's editions of The Post and Courier.