Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund
About the Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund
The Veterans in 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.
About Veterans In Transition
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. Approximately 26% of student veterans at the University of Maryland have served in an active combat role. 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. The 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.
For more information, please visit Veteran Student Life's Resource Guide.
How to Apply
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 Will Jones, coordinator of Veteran Student Life at wjones19@umd.edu, and complete the below application form.
Student Impact
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 to help pay down 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 A LOT of stress off me and especially my wife’s back while I try to finish up school without my VA Benefits. Thank you to all my TerpVet friends." -UMD Student Veteran
"As I am without family here in Maryland, I turned to sleeping at friends’ houses and planned to sleep in my car or a tent for the summer. After mentioning my situation, the Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund and the Student Crisis Fund covered the cost of summer 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 cared so much about its students and veterans to provide them immediate help in unforeseen crisis situations." -UMD Student Veteran