Oregon Tech receives $69k grant to support campus Veteran Resource Centers

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Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) received a $69,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) to support veteran resource projects for the benefit of students.

Grant funding will not only make more people aware of the opportunities offered at Oregon Tech, but will update existing centers and provide a dedicated staff member to serve the needs of Oregon Tech veteran- and military-affiliated students.

Oregon Tech's military outreach lead, retired Colonel Jeff Smith, and Iona Musgnung, associate director of Student Support & Belonging, worked with students to secure the funding. Oregon Tech Student Veteran Program (SVP) and Veterans Affairs (VA) work-study students have been instrumental in identifying areas for improvement specific to each campus. These teams have gathered student input on what should be added to the resource centers and they continue to be advocates for their peers in regard to what comes next.

The funding received from the ODVA Campus Veteran Resource Center grant will support five projects. 

  1. Hire a director of Veteran Services.

  2. Create and equip a new Veteran Resource Center on the Portland-Metro campus.

  3. Modernize the Veteran Resource Center on the Klamath Falls campus.

  4. Host orientation, benefits, peer mentoring, employment and outreach events for veteran- and military-affiliated students.

  5. Market veteran-friendly degree-completion programs to attract veteran students.

Currently, Oregon Tech partners with Klamath Community College (KCC) and Air University (AU) to provide veteran-friendly pathways to degree completion that maximize transfer credit, optimize use of VA benefits, and minimize out-of-pocket costs. The university also formed a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cross-town partnership between the Portland-Metro campus and University of Portland. Grant funding will allow dedicated support and recruitment for both programs and support current veterans at both campus locations through a director responsible for overseeing all projects and physical improvements to VRC's at each campus.

Ms. Musgnung shared, "Grant money is in and we are already making enhancements to our physical spaces and have plans in the works for that to continue throughout the year. We have goals to use this funding to better incentivize and connect students to employment counseling and military affirming career fairs, benefits navigation, and peer support through the Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) program."