By Jeff Murphy,
October 11, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – Supporting the men and women who have served this nation, a $1.3
million federal grant enables the University of Central Missouri to establish the
university’s new Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) Program to serve eligible individuals
in a 10-county region.
UCM’s Department of Academic Enrichment learned this month that it is receiving funding
from the U.S. Department of Education for this TRIO program. It benefits veterans
who are underrepresented in higher education, and are first generation, low-income,
and/or disability-challenged.
Veterans Upward Bound has existed for nearly five decades nationwide and is designed
to motivate and assist veterans in local communities with the development of academic
and other requisite skills necessary for acceptance and success in a program of postsecondary
education. VUB is the third TRIO program offered at the university. Unlike UCM’s
Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program and Student Support Services,
VUB serves individuals who are not enrolled at the university.
“The Veterans Upward Bound program provides assessment and enhancement of basic skills
through counseling, mentoring, tutoring and academic instruction,” said Chris Stockdale,
a military veteran who also chairs the Department of Academic Enrichment. “The primary
goal of the program is to increase the rate at which participants enroll in and complete
postsecondary education programs.”
Stockdale said total funding is over a five-year period, with UCM receiving approximately
$263,000 this year toward the total grant award. The university must successfully
complete the renewal process annually to continue the program. UCM’s goal is to serve
a total of 125 veterans per year from Benton, Carroll, Cooper, Henry, Johnson, Lafeyette,
Morgan, Pettis, Ray and Saline counties.
“We’ve conducted a needs assessment and found about 20,000 veterans in in those 10
counties who have not yet enrolled in postsecondary education,” Stockdale noted. “Some
of them have not yet completed a high school diploma, and many of them are living
at the poverty line.”
“The idea is that if we can get them signed up for our program, then we can start
to figure out what are some of their educational goals. Those goals do not have to
be at UCM,” he said, adding that veterans must choose the institution in which they
want to pursue their college education.
VUB will be housed in the Department of Academic Enrichment. Participants will get
support they need in areas such as mathematics and writing that will help prepare
them to succeed in college. They also will learn more about the enrollment process,
how to look for and apply for financial aid beyond their veterans benefits, and much
more.
“Most activities will happen on campus,” Stockdale said, “but if we have a base of
veterans that we have contacted, we may use some of the local veterans’ organizations
such as the VFW, American Legion, and VA centers, and we may offer programs out in
those counties.”
Unlike other TRIO programs at UCM, he stressed that the VUB comes with a call to action.
UCM’s immediate goal will be to reach out to veterans in the region to create program
awareness. These efforts begin this month.
“We’ll go to events, set up a table and we’ll tell our story and what TRIO can offer
them,” Stockdale said.
He said the federal grant will help the university cover its expenses related to personnel
needed to operate the program and other costs related to the VUB program and participant
support. Stockdale believes UCM was approved for the grant because of its reputation
as a Military Friendly® institution, with strong support from University President
Charles Ambrose and the university’s faculty and staff. This collaboration has enabled
the university to establish the Military and Veterans Success Center, a one-stop resource
for active-duty service members, veterans and military dependents; initiate the Military
Tuition Package, which helps reduce college costs not covered by traditional military
benefits; create academic course offerings and continually enhance its commitment
to men and women at Whiteman Air Force Base; and establish the Command Pass, which
provides active-duty military and veterans free admission to UCM athletic events.
Additionally, UCM this month entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Missouri
National Guard that includes establishing a new cyber education hub to provide computer
technology training for citizen soldiers at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s
Summit.
Individuals who want to know more about UCM’s Veterans Upward Bound Program are encouraged
to contact Shelia Schneider in the Department of Academic Enrichment at 660-543-4061
or email VUB@ucmo.edu.
