What started as a pilot between the VA Medical Centers (VAMC) and higher education institutions took on a life of its own. In 2011, the VA launched the  Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program to provide a support bridge with health care benefits, academic accommodations, and mental health services to student veterans. It was originally funded as a three-year pilot and now exists as a facility-based, flexible option dependent on resources to continue. The VITAL program is