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Kirkwood A Certified Higher Academic Military Partner

By May 6, 2015December 18th, 2018No Comments

Designation announced by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad this week

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (May, 6 2015)-Kirkwood Community College was named a Home Base Iowa Certified Higher Academic Military Partner (CHAMP) earlier this week. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad announced that Kirkwood, along with five other communities and colleges, had met the requirements to become partners in the program.

The initiative is part of the Home Base Iowa Act, which is a series of incentives offered statewide to make Iowa more competitive to recruit transitioning military members. To become a CHAMP college, a college must meet three out of four criteria in each of the following sections:

  1. On-Campus Veteran Resources
    1. Full time veterans’ services coordinator or veterans’ representative
    2. Veterans center/study space dedicated to veteran student population
    3. Veterans’ services support group
    4. Career placement assistance
  2. Mindfulness of Service Member Transitions
    1. Consistent credit honored for all established military training and schools
    2. Advanced/preferential registration dates for student veteran population
    3. Offer veterans’ sections for new student orientation
    4. College president signature on Principles of Excellence laid out in Executive Order 13607
  3. Financial Considerations
    1. Automatic in-state tuition for former active-duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members and spouses and children domiciled in Iowa
    2. Deferred billing options
    3. Deferred billing or options to assist student veterans in purchasing books, tools and supplies required for vocational programs
    4. Specific scholarships for transitioning service members and/or their dependents

“I’m very happy about Kirkwood being designated a CHAMP college,” said Kirkwood Veteran Services Coordinator and School Certifying Official Vicki Terronez. “We strive to be a college that welcomes veterans and helps them with the next step in their lives. These men and women have sacrificed and put so much on the line for their country. We owe it to them to make sure we can help in any way.”

On average, Kirkwood has 700 veterans a year enrolled at the college. However, serving the ex-military population does not just stop with the veterans themselves. According to Terronez, it’s important to serve every member of a military family.

“We look forward to partnering with the Home Base Iowa Initiative to better serve our veterans and their families,” said Terronez.

For more information on Veterans Affairs at Kirkwood, visit www.kirkwood.edu/va.