VETERANS EDUCATION COUNSELORS.

The commission shall employ veterans education counselors. The veterans education counselors shall:

(1) work with institutions of higher education and any existing veterans programs at those institutions to:

(A) create a hospitable and supportive environment for veterans;

(B) enhance awareness of and encourage participation in veterans educational programs and commission programs providing other services to veterans, including employment and claims assistance services;

(C) develop programs providing ancillary assistance to veterans based on the unique needs of veterans and their family members;

(D) ensure that veterans successfully complete their education; and

(E) promote the establishment of a student veterans group on each campus of those institutions;

(2) work with local, state, and national veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, to promote educational opportunities and benefits to the veteran population;

(3) work with local workforce development boards to:

(A) ensure that the veterans education counselors are aware of available nontraditional educational opportunities, including on-the-job training programs and apprenticeships; and

(B) advise employers of potential opportunities to create on-the-job training programs for veterans;

(4) work with education services officers at military installations to encourage active duty members of the armed forces of the United States and veterans to use federal and state educational benefits;

(5) create and manage publicity campaigns in concert with the commission and institutions of higher education to promote the use of education benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. Section 3301 et seq.), the tuition exemption program for veterans and their family members under Section 54.341, Education Code, and any other education benefit for veterans or their family members under federal or state law;

(6) support programs to assist students who are combat veterans in readjusting and reintegrating into a noncombat environment;

(7) maintain statistical information regarding demographics of veterans assisted, application success, program completion rates, dropout rates, and reasons for success or failure, as appropriate; and

(8) perform other activities, as assigned by the commission, to enhance the educational opportunities of veterans and their family members.