In the same period at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the total student population shrank by 8 percent while the number of veterans swelled 61 percent, according to university records. Staff has been hired and student veteran resource centers have been created as campus hubs to help with VA paperwork, health care, housing and enrollment. The centers also act as meeting spots for veterans who rely on one another to regain the camaraderie lost when they left active duty. First comes the paperwork. Brian Fausett said he spent more than a year hassling the VA to process paperwork so he could enroll in UAA through the department's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, a service for veterans with service-related disabilities. Nichole Grunwald, military and veteran community services assistant at UAA, said navigating the benefits process can be among the most difficult and frustrating steps for student-veterans. According to a 2012 survey by the American Council on Education, 71 percent of nearly 700 schools had specific programs and services for military members and veterans. Beyond initial paperwork, student veterans must also have their benefits certified each semester by a university official, said Eric Pedersen, associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Services at UAA. Bowers underwent multiple knee surgeries, has lower-back pain and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Grunwald said counseling and health care services are offered through the university's health system and at the VA. Box said the university's firearms and alcohol bans might deter student veterans from living on campus.