The Dominion Post
August 7, 2022
“Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool…….” If you just chuckled and shook your head at the hilarity that Adam Sandler parades in the iconic comedy “Billy Madison”, you are my kind of people! While Billy had a unique circumstance in his back-to-school adventure, many veterans can feel like a fish out of water when they tie their shoes, pick up their brown bag, and head to campus. If you are a veteran considering taking the plunge and hitting the books, resources are available to make your transition as easy and stress-free as possible.
Many West Virginia military veterans are benefiting from an educational program called Veterans Upward Bound, which is a federal TRiO Program dedicated to helping veterans of the U.S. military prepare for education at the college, community college, trade school, or technical school level. Veterans Upward Bound staff are located throughout West Virginia, ready to assist veterans by simplifying the process of preparing for postsecondary education, including applying to school, comparing, and applying for GI Bill benefits, obtaining copies of DD214 forms and military transcripts, applying for federal financial aid, and providing timesaving links to other veteran’s agencies such as VA Medical Centers and Vocational Rehabilitation, among others.
Academic assistance is another service that is provided by the program. Refresher classes are offered to veterans that need to brush up on academic skills or simply want to learn a new skill. Classes are small, veteran-only, and are generally offered once per week for approximately 6 weeks at a time. Class participants are eligible for a small stipend that helps to offset the cost of transportation to and from VUB classes.
The program provides services throughout West Virginia. All services and materials are free of charge to program participants and most veterans are eligible for the program. VUB also acts as a resource and referral service for any questions veterans may have. The Academic Advisor for this area is Jim Baxter. To find out if you are eligible, or for more information about the program, call Jim at (304) 906-8492 or email [email protected] or visit the VUB website www.vubwv.org.
Operation Welcome Home is happy to partner with Veterans Upward Bound as well as other organizations to provide better access to secondary education for veterans.
Upcoming Events:
August 27, OWH Military Appreciation Night at Monongalia County Ballpark, Hosted and Sponsored by United Bank. Visit www.welcomehomewv.com/events/ to purchase a ticket. Using the link provided, $5 of each ticket returns to OWH.
October 5, OWH Veterans Golf Classic at The Pines. Visit www.veteransgolfclassicwv.com for info.
Good to know: Your life is worth it. Keep fighting and never give up. Every day, responders at the Veterans
Crisis Line help people going through a crisis. Call the new number—Dial 988 then Press 1—to
reach qualified, caring responders who are ready to listen.
Operation Welcome Home is here to serve veterans and their families in the greater Morgantown area. Let us know how we can assist you by visiting www.welcomehomewv.com or by calling 304-816-4854. See you all next month- Semper Fi!