COC celebrates first year of Veterans Upward Bound grant 

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News release 

College of the Canyons has completed the first year of its five-year Veterans Upward Bound grant program. This transformative initiative aims to provide comprehensive support services to eligible student veterans in the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and parts of the San Fernando Valley. 

“The Veterans Upward Bound program at College of the Canyons empowers student veterans with tailored academic and career resources, fostering success in higher education and beyond,” Renard Thomas, director of the Veterans Resource Center at COC, said in a news release. “In its first year, many veterans have gained essential support through advisement on veteran education benefits, academic counseling, need-based referrals to resources on and off campus, and more, building on the proven strength of COC’s Veterans Resource Center.” 

In 2023, COC received a $1.437 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education in support of a Veterans Upward Bound program designed to help student veterans succeed in pursuing postsecondary education by addressing gaps in support services. 

Through the VUB program, student veterans gain access to an array of academic and career-focused resources. 

During the first year of this grant, through the collaborative efforts of the Moving Veterans Forward Network, VUB has connected over 70 veteran students with tailored academic and non-academic services designed to address their unique needs, the release said. 

Approximately 90% of these veterans have successfully enrolled in classes at COC during the previous and current academic years. 

The program’s partnership with on-campus and off-campus organizations, including VPAN, the Vet Center, and Cal Vet, has enhanced access to critical resources to ensure veterans receive comprehensive support that promotes their academic, personal, and professional success, the release said. 

Student veterans have benefited from the following services, according to the release: 

• Academic advising and counseling. 

• Basic skills development and short-term refresher courses. 

• Career awareness and career planning. 

• Life skills and decision-making workshops. 

• Family activities and peer mentoring. 

• College admissions and financial aid assistance. 

• Employment, mental health, and basic needs referrals. 

COC’s Veterans Resource Center has been serving veterans since 2010. The center provides student services advisement, academic counseling, VA benefits information, and veteran peer support. 

In 2016, a VRC was opened at the college’s Canyon Country campus. 

For more information about the VUB program or the Veterans Resource Center at COC, call 661-362-3469 or go to www.canyons.edu/studentservices/va/index.php. 

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