Military-Affiliated Services at UNO

The Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program and Nebraska Veterans Affairs will be hosting satellite services in the Office of Military and Veteran Services throughout the Spring 2019 semester.

VITAL is a collaboration between VA and higher education designed to help student veterans transition from service member to student. Campus outreach social workers, such as Barb Shupe here at UNO, can help student veterans with VA services, resource referrals, and acts as a student advocate at school. Barb will be available every Monday from 10 A.M. - 3 P.M. and can assist specifically with any of the areas below:

• VA health care/benefits
• VA health care enrollment
• Stress and personal issues
• VA appointment scheduling
• College frustrations
• Academic and accessibility accommodations
• Scholarships and grant applications
• VA Vocational Rehabilitation
• Advise on community, regional, and national resources

Barb can be directly contacted at 402-676-4261 or via email at barbara.shupe@va.gov.


Matt Starkey is a State Veterans Service Office with Nebraska Veterans Affairs who serves current service members, veterans, and family members. Matt is regularly available in OMVS 117 to assist students interested in learning more about non-educational VA benefits and other Nebraska veterans benefits. These include:

• Compensation/disability claims
• Debt management inquiries with the VA
• VA health care applications
• VA Vocational Rehabilitation
• Transition Assistance
• Other Nebraska state Veterans benefits (license plates, hunting/fishing permits, etc.)

Matt will be available from 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. on the following dates:

• Feb. 5 and 19
• March 5 and 12
• April 2 and 16

Matt can be directly contacted at 402-318-1481 or via email at matthew.starkey@va.gov or matt.starkey@nebraska.gov.

For more information on any of these resources, please contact OMVS at unovets@unomaha.edu.