The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is pleased to announce the award of the 2020 Campus Veteran Resource Center grants, which are designed to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at improving outcomes for student veterans at Oregon’s public universities and community colleges.
Veteran Resource Centers help student veterans transition from military service to college life, complete their educational goals and successfully transition back into the civilian workforce and community.
The purpose of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grants is to augment existing campus resources by funding innovative and impactful projects or programs designed to improve the lives of student veterans and help them succeed.
All 14 of the public universities and community colleges that applied for a grant received a portion of the available grant funds. The one-time grants ranged from $25,830 to $ 79,290. The projects were selected through an evaluation committee composed of members of the Oregon Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee, representatives of Oregon’s national veteran service organizations, veterans and education experts.
“A post-secondary degree or course of study at a technical or vocation college is a critical gateway for many veterans to transition out of the military into a successful civilian career,” said ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick. “But unlike most students, veterans are often older and have very different life experiences from their peers.
“Campus Veteran Resource Centers provide critical veteran resources and offer support networks with other student veterans, which can drastically improve outcomes and help ensure success for student veterans in their educational endeavors and future careers.”
Highlights of the projects receiving grant funding include:
- Training for academic faculty and staff in military culture and unique needs of student veterans.
- Establishment of peer mentor programs and other support services to foster deeper connections among peers resulting in increased veteran retention and success in school.
- Purchase of tutorial software for veterans in the areas of college level writing and math skills, tutoring or a lending library.
- Partnering with community organizations, employment resources and potential employers, which will assist student veteran transitioning from school to the workplace.
- Expansion of Veteran Resource Centers and moving them to central locations, which include study areas, computers, printers, food pantry and space for the veteran coordinators to assist the student veteran.
- Development of veteran specific campus orientation and welcome programs for student veterans and their families.
The grant recipients include University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Southern Oregon State University and Western Oregon University, along with the Blue Mountain, Chemeketa, Clackamas, Klamath, Lane, Mount Hood, Rogue and Southwestern Oregon community college systems.
More information about the grant and awardees can be found on ODVA’s website: https://www.oregon.gov/odva/agency-programs/grants/Pages/Campus-Grant.aspx