COCC awarded $600,000 to expand veteran assistance with ‘Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success’

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A U.S. Department of Education grant announced by this week by Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley will expand veteran student services at Central Oregon Community College, helping to create a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success.

The new center will help vets in a variety of ways, with a specific focus on helping students at risk of academic failure.

"The opportunity to receive this level of funding is phenomenal," Bonnie Jordan, the school's veterans programs coordinator, said Wednesday. "That we can provide for a population that we're so appreciative of, that we value so much. We know that by being at COCC, we can help make a difference in their trajectory on their next career or their next school."

The center will be staffed by faculty who are veterans themselves, or are experienced working with veterans.

Levon Alldredge joined the veterans program last term. This time around he supports other veteran students as a peer advisor.

"This program is hands down the best veterans program I've ever seen, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of it." Levon said. "It gives us a really marvelous opportunity to to just be 'a part of,' instead of 'separate from,' which is something that a lot of student veterans struggle with."

Last year, COCC had 473 veteran students, making up almost 10 percent of its student population.