Southern California military veterans seeking a college education for themselves or their families are provided a well-rounded program of support at Santiago Canyon College, which has won recognition as one of the top six military-friendly colleges in the nation.
Tuition coverage, academic help, housing allowance, low-cost child care and counseling from specially trained therapists are just a few of the forms of support offered by SCC’s Veterans Resource Center, said LaKyshia Perez, associate dean of student services, who supervises the programs for veterans.
“It really is a wonderful opportunity, so they can focus 100% on school rather than having to manage a job and school,” she said.
Most veterans who enroll at SCC arrive right after four years, or more, in military service and are looking to transfer to a four-year university, Perez said. But a significant number of enrolling veterans are already on a career path, such as firefighting, and want additional education to qualify for a higher position.
The Veterans Resource Center provides a computer lab, a study lounge and academic counseling that’s specifically geared to the needs of veterans. “This allows them to receive the support necessary from someone who’s trained and understands how the VA education benefits work alongside their college experience,” Perez said.
Thanks in large part to the Veterans Resource Center, Military Friendly, a national veterans-support nonprofit, named Santiago Canyon College a Top 10 Gold Military Friendly school, as well as a Top 10 Military-Spouse Friendly School.
One former SCC student vet sang high praise for the college and its Veterans Resource Center.
“I worked at the VRC as a work-study, kind of like a paid internship, through the Veterans Administration,” said Eugene Briano, who served 11 years in active duty in the U.S. Army and another 11 as a reserve in the National Guard. “It was a great experience; everyone was super. They truly cared about the veterans coming in and out of school.
“And it’s great that the college itself is such a veteran-friendly school,” Briano said. “When I was there, student veterans and a panel of professors would regularly meet to talk about what the vets needed and where they struggled. The college works hard to understand what student veterans go through.”
SCC also offers a VA work-study opportunity, which enables veterans to work part time in the Veterans Resource Office, where they can be another source of peer support for other student veterans, Perez said.
This is important because transitioning from life in the military to an educational environment is not always easy. And it’s why SCC works with the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Outside the Wire, a group of therapists and marriage and family counselors who specialize in helping veterans, particularly those who are enrolled in college. Outside the Wire therapists come to SCC once a week and also offer support for families of veterans, who might also be facing challenges.
Marine Corps veteran and SCC student Geoff Frost said that interacting with employees who are veterans and relate to him as a peer makes him feel welcome and understood. “These guys are veterans. They know veterans and they can speak military to people,” he said.
At age 57, Frost is in his second semester and has plans to transfer to Cal State Fullerton to get his bachelor’s degree in human services. He credits the support he’s received at the Veterans Resource Center for inspiring and encouraging him to pursue his education goal. “I love school, and I would not be going to school, and I would not be doing as well as I am if it were not for the center.”
Frost said he appreciates the fact that Veterans Resource Center employees let him know about grant applications and have connected him with academic support. When he once had a panic attack related to his post-traumatic stress disorder, another veteran who worked there immediately helped calm him down, he said.
It’s this holistic approach to veteran students that makes SCC’s program successful, Perez said. Funding comes primarily from the state of California — the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has specifically allocated money to all 116 community colleges for veteran support.
This wasn’t always the case, Perez noted. Twenty-five years ago, most colleges did not have a veterans support center and veterans had to seek guidance from financial aid offices.
It became apparent that veterans needed more support in their journey “from soldier to scholar,” Perez said. She and her team currently work with about 450 veterans, mostly men, and family members of veterans. The child development center, for children ages 2 to 5, in the Veterans Resource Center, is an important part of the support. “We have one vet who brings his kid to this office,” said Perez. “He does his homework while his kid is there coloring and watching TV.”
Perez said she’s seen many SCC’s veteran-students secure scholarships at four-year universities, launch into careers and establish stable lives for themselves and their families.
With so many military bases in California, a lot of military personnel choose to stay in the state after their service.
“When you’re in the military, typically the last year to six months of your exit, they have what they call a Transition Assistance Program, or TAP,” she explained. “They start helping people transition out of the military by providing resources, and colleges go on base to promote their school and programs. We definitely participate in TAP,” she said, adding that a visit to Camp Pendleton is scheduled for next month.
Santiago Canyon College has earned its recognition as a top military-friendly college due to support from SCC leadership as well as the passion and dedication of the team at the Veterans Resource Center, according to Perez.
“This is a united front,” she said.