UT will receive $72,250 from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Veteran Reconnect Grant program to enhance services for student veterans and service members.
The grant is part of $889,277 awarded to 14 colleges and universities around the state. Veteran Reconnect is part of Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55 initiative to increase educational attainment in the state to 55 percent by the year 2025.
The grant will be used to improve prior learning assessment, which examines veterans’ military training and grants equivalent college credit for skills attained during service, allowing student veterans to complete their degrees more quickly.
Veteran Reconnect aligns with legislation passed last year by the Tennessee General Assembly, which directs THEC to develop an online web platform to assist veterans in translating their military experience to academic credit.
About 844 veterans, military spouses, and dependents are expected to attend UT this fall using veterans benefits.