North Dakota State University students returning from military duty will be first in line when signing up for classes this spring.
Students activated in the National Guard and Reserve will receive priority when registration begins April 5, said George Wallman, NDSU's vice president for student affairs.
The university also will waive the students' financial aid deadline and give them housing priority.
The goal is to make it as simple as possible for the soldiers to return to being college students, Wallman said in a statement Monday.
"We recognize that some of our returning students will come back with a different perspective on life after having served in such difficult conditions," he said. "We appreciate their commitment to serve and look forward to their return."
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More than 120 NDSU students have been called to active duty in the past year, mostly for the war in Iraq.
The university has maintained contact with the soldiers through e-mail, said Keith Bjerke, NDSU's vice president for university relations.
"We put the word out to the Guard that we wanted to make sure students knew how important it was to us to meet their needs," said Bjerke, former adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard.
Military students can register for classes online at www.ndsu.edu/registrar , and reserve textbooks at www.ndsu.edu/bookstore .
NDSU has a strong history of supporting military students, Bjerke said, noting Wallman and his office manager, Jane Cumber, received special recognition in November from the North Dakota Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
About a half-dozen students returned Friday from a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia with the Minnesota National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment, NDSU spokesman David Wahlberg said.
The rest of the soldiers are expected to return this month, Bjerke said.
"They'll be plenty ready to hit the books again once August comes around," he said.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528
