Dakota County Technical College has shown its commitment to being a veteran friendly campus by being proclaimed a Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Company in 2010, opening a newly remodeled Military and Veterans Service Center in 2016. Military Times has ranked Dakota County Technical College #4 in the nation and #1 in Minnesota on Best for Vets: Colleges 2020: Career and Technical Colleges. DCTC has been ranked nationally by Best for Vets four years in a row: #4 in 2020, #6 in 2019, #7 in 2018 and #12 in 2017.
DCTC is dedicated to meeting the needs of student-veterans and active-duty service members. Some veterans face personal, relationship, education and employment challenges. Veteran’s families also may need support while their loved ones serve overseas and when they return home. DCTC, working with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, provides additional training on supporting veterans to counselors, student affairs staff, faculty, and administrators.
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Transfer Military Courses for College Credit
View the Guide to the Evaluations of Education Experiences in the Armed Services to see which military courses may equate to college credits.
Credit for Prior Learning
Many nontraditional students can demonstrate college-level knowledge and competencies. Such learning—gained from experiences outside postsecondary education—often merits academic credit. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) provides a range of options from recognition of military and workforce training to national examinations and portfolio development. With more options comes the increased likelihood for greater numbers of learners to complete credentials." - American Council on Education
What are general options for prior learning assessment (PLA) or credit for prior learning (CPL)?
View more about Credit for Prior Learning
For more information, contact your Enrollment Advisor and Financial Aid Specialist or
Established in spring 2007 in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, The Military and Veteran Service Center provides support to military members, veterans, and their families as they transition to college and beyond. The Center is committed to offering information and assistance as well as a welcoming space for students to gather for peer support.
The Center is located in Room 2-302 and is staffed by Katherine Bachman and VA student workers who are committed to helping veterans reach their higher education goals.
Services Offered
Important Links
Hours
7 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday—Friday
Listed below are resources on campus that can be beneficial to veterans.
Listed below are resources off campus in Dakota County that can be beneficial to veterans.
Veterans Career Resources
Mission
The mission of the Dakota County Technical College Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee is to support student-veterans, service members and their families; honor their service; and advocate for military-friendly policies and practices.
Objectives
Committee Members 2021-2022
Military & Veteran Network on Campus
DCTC is proud to recognize the following employees for their military service.
The following military-friendly policies reflect the spirit of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Company Status awarded to Minnesota State and Dakota County Technical College.
Colleges and universities can waive application fees for active duty military service members deployed overseas. Many institutions will also waive application fees for veterans; check with your campus of interest for more information.
Special provisions are available to military personnel called to active duty while attending college. Options include: (1) Full refund of tuition; (2) grade of incomplete with opportunity to complete coursework through independent study or by retaking the course at no charge; or (3) grade of C or better if warranted by coursework completed prior to departure.
Consistent with Minnesota State Statute 197.775, students who are eligible and have applied for but not yet received veterans benefits are exempt from being charged a late fee. The law says: "A state college or university may not assess late fees or other late charges for veterans who are eligible to receive federal or state educational assistance and who have applied for that assistance but not yet received it, nor may they prevent these students from registering for a subsequent term because of outstanding tuition charges that arise from delayed federal or state payments."
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will consider prior learning attained in non-credit or experiential settings such as the military. Credit will be awarded for prior learning that is assessed as college-level learning as it applies to your chosen program and degree.
Active duty military in Minnesota, veterans, and their spouses and dependent children pay tuition at the Minnesota in-state resident rate.
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities consider academic credit earned at accredited public, private, and military colleges and will award transfer credit when courses from the accredited provider apply to your chosen program and degree.
About DCTC Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Challenge Coins
Challenge coins are awarded to employees who are veterans, and veterans, service members, and their dependents utilizing military benefits upon the completion of a degree or diploma at Dakota County Technical College.
Additionally, through a rigorous nomination process, challenge coins may be awarded to employees who have demonstrated outstanding support of students in the military community. Download the form below to nominate an employee!
Challenge Coin Recipients
The following individuals have been awarded a challenge coin by the DCTC Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee for their outstanding support for the military community.
Kathy Bachman
Regional Coordinator – MN Department of Veteran Affairs
Awarded November 2018
Kathy served in the U.S. Navy, her husband served in the U.S. Army Reserve and as a U.S. Navy Seabee, she has a son who is currently serving in the U.S. Navy and a daughter currently serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Kathy has worked in Veterans Affairs for 11 years, dedicating her career to supporting our military community. Kathy supports the success and well-being of veterans through her role on campus managing the Military and Veterans Service Center, ensuring the space is warm, welcoming, and meets the needs of our student-veterans. Kathy was instrumental in securing funding for the current Military and Veterans Service Center. When Kathy learns of needs that veterans have, she utilizes her support network to meet the need. One example of this is when a student-veteran needed living room furniture and Kathy was able to find someone who had furniture that needed a new home through her network. Meeting this need helped the veteran’s wellbeing and financial stability.
Michael Crider
Financial Aid Representative
Awarded November 2018
Michael served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has a son currently serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Michael works tirelessly to support the retention and academic success of all Dakota County Technical College students, and places special emphasis on students with a history of military service. Michael goes out of his way to engage with students who have served, by making his presence known, being approachable and making these students feel welcome in the Enrollment Services office. Michael has also helped employees who are veterans transition from being a student to a college employee.
Scott Gunderson
Business Management Faculty
Awarded November 2018
Scott has been a strong advocate of Credit for Prior Learning and ensuring veterans are awarded credit for their military experience. Scott spearheaded the creation of the Technical Management degree with veterans in mind so they could gain up to 40 credits toward the degree for their military experience. Scott’s students who are veterans say that he is understanding their needs and what they are going through. He always has their best interests in mind, and goes above and beyond to support their success inside and outside of the classroom. Read Scott’s full bio.
Diane Frandrup
Registration Coordinator
Awarded November 2019
Diane has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to support our student-veterans. She coordinates awarding challenge coins to veteran-graduates and volunteered at the Veterans Club BBQ fundraiser. Additionally, she has volunteered multiple years at Support Our Troops Haunted House, and has coordinated the Student Affairs Adopt a Veteran for the Holidays multiple times. Several of Diane’s family members have served in the military, and she brings this first-hand experience and knowledge to our campus to support our student-veterans.
Anne Johnson
Associate Vice President of Student Affairs
Awarded November 2018
Anne’s brother served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years serving two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Anne is the administrative champion on campus for veterans. The increase in focus on veteran’s services and initiatives in recent years on campus is due to Anne’s dedication to serve our student-veteran population. Anne wrote the Title III Grant which provides funding for staff positions focused on increasing usage of credit for prior learning and supports the success of adult learners and veterans. Anne was also the principle administrative ally who advocated for a larger veteran’s center space to ensure veterans’ needs were met. The number of visits to center have tripled since moving to the new location.
Brett Kolles
English Faculty
Awarded November 2018
Brett has connected with countless veterans through his classes and has remained in close contact with some long after graduation.
Brett ensures that student-veterans in his classes know where to get support. During his classes, he lets his students know that there is a veteran’s center on campus, that his door is always open, and if he doesn’t know the answer to a question a veteran has, he will find out it. As Lions Club Advisor, Brett has supported and coordinated campus-wide events on PTSD and suicide awareness. Brett’s students see him as an advocate for veterans. When one of his students told him she was having issues with the VA, Brett connected her to Veterans Affairs staff on campus who were able to help get her the answers she needed. Read Brett’s full bio.
Kerry Lurken
Admissions Representative
Awarded November 2019
Kerry served as DCTC's School Certifying Official for 12 years, and was the go-to staff member for military students for any issues regarding classes, VA benefits, and personal issues. Kerry has coordinated multiple trainings and presentations on military benefits for students and employees. Kerry is a long-time member of the beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee and previously served as Veterans Club Advisor. He has also volunteered at many campus and fundraising events for veterans.
Nicole Meulemans
Director of Student Life
Awarded November 2018
Nicole’s father served in the U.S. Navy.
In 2009, Nicole began collaborating with the campus community as well as the City of Rosemount to come up with a plan to serve veterans, current military and their family members. The result of her efforts paid off and in 2010 DCTC became the first campus in the metro area to earn the proclamation of a Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Campus. Nicole continued supporting the Beyond The Yellow Ribbon initiative by attending Minnesota State Conferences where she was able to share best practices on how to become a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Campus. Nicole continues to support veterans, current military and their family members by volunteering in her spare time for Flags for Fort Snelling, assisting Rosemount Yellow Ribbon, and packing back packs for children of service members. Read Nicole’s full bio.
Anna Voight
Associate Director of Student Life
Awarded November 2018
Anna's brother served in the MN Army National Guard serving a tour of duty in Iraq, and her grandfathers served in the Army and Air Force serving in WWII and the Korean War, respectively.
Anna has served as Chair of the Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Committee since 2016 and has done an exceptional job moving initiatives forward in support of our student veterans and their families, including implementing the DCTC Challenge Coin for student-veteran graduates, faculty, and staff; adding campus signage about the BTYR designation and reserved parking spaced for veterans; and planning a veterans orientation welcome event for incoming veterans. Anna has implemented a continuous improvement process for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon committee initiatives and goals to focus on quality, and worked with the campus’s Institutional Research department to create a military-specific program evaluation to help improve programming. With her leadership DCTC has risen to ##6 in the nation and ##1 in Minnesota as the best technical college for veterans (as of 2018), according to Military Times Magazine. Read Anna’s full bio.
Gina Zimmer
Customized Training Admin Support
Awarded November 2019
Gina is passionate about supporting our student-veteran population. She has served on the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Committee for three years and she will do whatever is needed to support our veterans. She has volunteered at Veterans Club fundraisers, packing backpacks for military kids, and has supported Toys for Military Kids. Gina goes above and beyond to support our veterans on campus and will do whatever it takes to help them succeed. Gina’s Grandfather, Father in Law and three Uncles, have served in the Army and is proud of her families service and sacrifice.
DCTC periodically conducts a veteran satisfaction survey to learn how we can better support veterans on campus.
Starting college as a veteran can at times be complex and often requires some time for adjustment. Connecting with other veterans on campus can help overcome the stress and challenges of this transition. We offer student veterans opportunities to meet other veterans on campus and join together for camaraderie and peer support through the Veterans Club.
Students interested in joining can submit a Student Life Interest Form or contact the club advisor.
