Concord Upward Bound Receives a Grant for Veterans Program

Concord University received a federal grant of $263,938 and is now beginning a program of assistance to veterans in planning their college career. The announcement was made by U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-West Virginia).

    The goal of the new program is to assist veterans who are not currently enrolled in college or university and to provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in postsecondary education programs. The program will help 125 veterans a year to find the best suited academic path for them and will provide free remedial classes.

    “Some of them [veterans] were out of high school for a while and they might not be 100 percent ready to jump right into a bachelor degree program,” said Katrina Matney, interim director of the program.

    Along with classes and general advising, the Upward Bound program will help veterans find the best college to attend, assist individuals with figuring out financial aid and admission processes, and accompany them on visits to different college campuses.

    The fact that participants would be completing the program at Concord University does not mean they are obligated to enroll at Concord afterward.

    “Veterans population as a whole is statistically really underrepresented on a lot of college campuses in this area. There is a lot of unemployment, drug use…there is a lot of factors. The number of populations of veterans who are going through college education is very low,” said Matney.

    The program will be working with those veterans who have served more than 180 days, were not dishonorably discharged, and who would be first generation college students, including those demonstrating financial need.

    “Concord has a rich history of providing service to veterans, and the Veterans Upward Bound grant enables us to expand our efforts and give back to those who so honorably served our country,” said Concord University Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students Marjie Flanigan in the University’s press release.

    As of now, the Upward Bound staff is still completing paperwork and finalizing details.  They are starting from square one as they have never had the veterans grant before.

    “We are thrilled to learn that Concord University has been awarded funding to initiate a Veterans Upward Bound Program. This program will give Concord additional opportunities to continue our work with veterans and to assist them in attaining their educational and career goals,” stated Concord University President Kendra Boggess in the University’s press release.