NORTH COAST, Calif. – The California Community Colleges Board of Governors recently approved $4.9 million in grant funding to expand and bolster Veterans Resource Centers throughout California’s community colleges.

Superintendent-President Arturo Reyes has just announced that Mendocino College has been one of the California Community Colleges to receive a portion of the grant.

Mendocino College is one of 90 community colleges in the state with an active Veterans Resource Center dedicated to providing veterans and active duty service members with tools they may need for academic success, and support as they transition from a military environment to an academic setting.

With this funding, Mendocino College hopes to identify a more appropriate space on campus to house the Veterans Resource Center.

While the existing space has served veteran students for the past seven years, the new space will accommodate more students and provide areas for study sessions, intake appointments, and a student lounge.

By enhancing the Veteran Resource Center, Mendocino College hopes to provide its veteran students with a welcoming learning environment where they feel appreciated and motivated to continue their education.

Additionally, this funding will provide the opportunity for further development of student success and support workshops which have shown to be greatly beneficial for students.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to boost the resources we have available and hope that it will contribute to the overall success of our student veterans,” said Mendocino College Vice President of Student Services Ulises Velasco.

Over the past six academic years, Mendocino College has seen an increase of veterans and their dependents coming to college, approximately 12 percent annually. In 2012-2013, Mendocino College had 95 veterans of veteran dependents on campus. By 2017-2018, that number had grown to 216.

California is home to an estimated 1.8 million veterans, and annually the California Community Colleges enrolls approximately 80,000 veterans and active duty service members.

For more information about the Mendocino College Veterans Resource Center visit https://www.mendocino.edu/student-services/veterans-services or call 707-468-3104.