Many times as a Veteran you qualify for benefits in education or other benefits but you do not access or apply for them. Sometimes this is because it is a benefit, such as tuition assistance, that you do not feel you need. But sometimes Veterans hesitate to try to go back to school for a lot of other reasons.
Lack of confidence because you have been out of school for a long long time, or that you feel you may be rusty and not have the academic chops or skills that it would require to go back to school. Well now there is a specific program designed to try and help re integrate you into academic life.
It is called the Veterans Upward Bound program, or VUB for short. It is a program designed to help you re enter the academic world, and do be able to do so confidently, and assertively. It is a Department of Education Federal Program that is tailored to try and refresh and revitalize your skills and academic ability, and give you confidence to be able to enter and complete a variety of educational pursuits.
There are several programs involved in the VUB program.
Short Term Classes- These are classes for helping complete a HS diploma or GED and to gain later admission to college degree programs.
Refresher Classes- These are classes to help give a veteran confidence in their academic ability and provide a chance to review basic concepts in English, math, and other subjects.
Financial Aid Application Assistance. A veteran is given assistance with all the different steps in applying for Federal Financial Aid.
Personalized Counseling. Both on staff counselors and referral counselors are used. Counseling of all different types of situations, financial, career, and personal counseling are available if desired by the Veteran.
Assistance with obtaining Other Veterans Services This is basically where the Upward bound program helps to find out what specifically you are eligible for, whether on the MGIB program, tuition assistance, or any other program that you are eligible for by virtue of being a Veteran. There are also social and community events that you can often participate in.
To be eligible for the VUB Veterans Upward Bound program you have to be a Veteran, with 181 days of active duty service after January 1955, and have been discharged under honorable conditions, and you have to meet other criteria for low-income guidelines published by the Federal Government.
