Staff Report

The Hancock College Veteran Success Center has been awarded nearly $200,000 in grant money by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

The college was one of 29 California community colleges that received a total of $4.9 million in funding for veterans centers through a competitive process.

“Our plan for this money is to put it straight in the hands of our student veterans in the form of books, food and school supplies,” said Hancock’s Dean of Student Services Yvonne Teniente-Cuello. “When we wrote this grant that was our intention, so we’re thrilled that we can help our veterans in this way.”

Hancock’s Veteran Success Center opened in 2015 and has since been dedicated to providing veterans and active-duty service members with the tools and support they may need for academic success and support as they transition from a military environment to an academic setting. These resources include mental health counseling, computer access and access to tutoring and health services.

According to the college, California is home to an estimated 1.8 million veterans, and annually California community colleges enroll approximately 80,000 veterans and active duty service members.

For more information on Hancock’s Veteran Success Center, go to www.hancockcollege.edu/veterans.