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 an 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 veterans’ 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 one evening per week for 6 to 12 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 Curtis Pauley. To find out if you are eligible, or for more information about the program, call Curtis at 304-646-0684 or email pauleyc@dewv.edu, or visit the VUB website www.vubwv.org.