Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund

The Veterans Transition Crisis Fund was established by the S. Irwin Kamin Foundation in honor of Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg to provide immediate emergency support to UMD veteran students experiencing unforeseen financial hardship. As veteran students navigate through challenging life transitions from military service to civilian and student life, an unanticipated financial emergency can derail progress towards a college degree and fulfilling career.

Professor Emerita Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg spent much of her career as a professor of counseling psychology. Nancy taught at Howard University, Wayne State, and the University of Maryland for 26 years. She was the first woman executive at the American Council of Education (ACE) where she established the Office of Women in Higher Education in 1973. Nancy is the co-president of TransitionWorks and has authored nine books to help individuals cope with the ups and downs of life.

While the transition to college is difficult for most students, it can be particularly challenging for student veterans. Our student veterans are often older than their peers and have had experiences that our traditional students struggle to relate to. Sixty percent of the veteran students at the University of Maryland have served in an active combat role and 80% have served for four years or more. More than half of our veterans are married and more than one-third have dependents. The adjustment to life as a civilian and student can present significant obstacles to acquiring a degree and pursuing a fulfilling career.

Veteran Student Life at the University of Maryland exists to support a seamless transition from military life to civilian college life. Veteran Student Life Office promotes continued growth in mind, body, and spirit, carrying the pride and confidence established in the military into the college experience and future careers for veteran alumni. In addition to financial help, veterans are introduced to Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg’s transition theory which can help them understand what they are experiencing. In particular, they can take a self-scoring TransitionGuide (Schlossberg and Kay) to help them identify their resources for coping.

For more information on the Transition Guide, please visit - Transition Guide.

The Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund exists to support veterans who face unforeseen financial challenges. Student veterans experience unexpected hardships, often leading to taking a semester off or dropping out of school altogether. These crises include but are not limited to the loss of a loved one, the unanticipated loss of a job, unforeseen dependent medical bills, a car accident, or the loss of a home due to a fire.

If you are a student veteran experiencing unforeseen financial hardship, please contact David Reese, Coordinator of Veteran Student Life at dmreese@umd.edu.

The following testimonials presented anonymously are from recent student veterans who received support from the Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund:

“We were awarded an emergency fund from the TerpVets to help pay down some of Emma's medical bills. We owe roughly $17k in outstanding medical bills for my daughter. We were sinking fast and it got to the point we were about to lose our vehicles because we could no longer keep up with the growing debt. So this takes ALOT of stress off me and especially my wife’s back while I try to finish up school without my VA Benefits (They end this month). So thank you to all my TerpVet friends and especially Brian Bertges for talking me off the ledge, so to speak and knocking some sense into me. Ryan H. Scott Jason Musick Aaron Bricco, you guys are awesome, and I wish I could spend more time helping out with TerpVets, as it’s the best group of people I have ever been around.

- UMD Student Veteran

“In May 2015 I had come across an unfortunate financial situation that has caused me to be unable to afford a new lease for my current room that I was renting and left me without housing. I am a member of the National Guard, which only supplies their members with with barely enough to cover rent, leaving other living costs for the military member to cover themselves. I did not foresee that paying for my summer classes would almost completely drain my savings (being over $3,000.00 for two classes).

As I am without family here in Maryland, I had turned to sleeping at friends’ houses and planned to sleep in my car or a tent for the summer. After briefly mentioning my situation to Brian Bertges in passing, he excused himself from the conversation and told me be would contact me later that day. Within an hour Brian called asking me to come to his office.

He told me that the Veterans Crisis Fund and the Student Crisis Fund would cover the cost of Summer 1 student housing so that I did not have to be homeless, couch-hopping, or sleeping in my car during the semester. This nearly brought me to tears to think that UMD and its affiliates cared so much about their students and veterans to provide them immediate help in unforeseen crisis situations.

I was able to smoothly set up and live in on-campus housing during summer 1 semester and successfully completed the summer course with an A. I don't think I would have been able to do as well in the class if it wasn't for the financial help through the crisis funds. I feel truly blessed and I think someone out there must be looking out for me.

After summer 1, I took time house-shopping and I was able to find affordable off-campus housing for the next school year, which I am currently living in.

Thank you.”

- UMD Student Veteran

 

 

Challenge coins have developed into a military custom whereby a small medallion with a unit’s emblem is given often in recognition of special achievements by unit members. In the spirit of this tradition, the UMD Veterans Program developed challenge coins that reflect all of the branches of military service on one side and the UMD Veterans Program on the other. These coins are given to individuals in recognition of extraordinary service to University of Maryland Veterans.