SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State University Thursday opened the door to a new Veterans Center on campus that is designed to meet the growing number of former active-duty military members looking to use the G.I. Bill to go to college.

The new center is twice as large as the old facility and is a one-stop place where veterans can update their VA benefits, resolve tuition and other campus related issues or simply have a place to hang out with other veterans.

"The people that know what it's like to lose a shipmate or know what it's like to have hard times, sacrifice or be away from your family, they get that and it's just really great to have that fellowship," said Virginia Johnson, a Navy veteran who enrolled this past fall.

"It's an adjustment," Johnson said. "You're just so used to doing things a different way in the military. The Vets Center helps with that transition."

SDSU is said to have one of the largest student veteran populations in the country. More that 1,000 veterans are currently enrolled at SDSU, as are 626 dependents of former military members. Some 600 students are involved in the school's ROTC program.

"The new center is professional-looking, and it's located with all the other student services," said Erika Kolb, who served in the Army. "And it's right in the center of campus, making us feel like we are a part of the community."