Ron Demonet, managing director of Veteran Scholarships Forever (VSF), has added $20,000 to a scholarship fund at Greenville Technical College (GTC). The fund’s purpose is to allow veterans and their spouses to successfully re-enter the workforce and thus provide for their families. The funds were made available to VSF through the generosity of the Upstate Warrior Solution and the Graham Foundation.
Demonet established VSF in 2013, seeing the high unemployment rate of veterans. While financial aid options may allow the veteran population to enroll in programs leading to associate degrees and diplomas, those funds don’t apply to short-term, non-degree certification options that can deliver skills very quickly. The Veteran Scholarships Forever fund can provide funding for programs available at Greenville Technical College through the Corporate and Career Development Division.
“To make a successful transition to civilian life, veterans need to find good jobs,” said Demonet. “When vocational training and job placement assistance are needed to aid in that transition, state and federal financial aid may not apply. This scholarship fund is designed to fill the funding void, helping veterans and their spouses move into rewarding careers.”
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting veterans education by donating to the fund can go to www.scholarshipsforever.org.
Veterans interested in applying for scholarships may contact Steve Hand, director of Greenville Technical College’s Quick Jobs with a Future program, at Steve.Hand@gvltec.edu or (864)250-8249 or Leslie Trant, Dean of Corporate and Career Development, at Leslie.Trant@gvltec.edu or (864)250-8600.
The VSF scholarship adds to a group of services for student veterans at Greenville Technical College. A student support group, the Greenville Tech Veterans, meets monthly. A Student Veterans Center provides a setting where veterans can gather and study. In addition to funds donated by Veteran Scholarships Forever, scholarships are also available to veterans thanks to the Fluor Foundation and Hollingsworth Funds. In addition, special counseling and tutoring services have been made available with support from the Wal Mart Foundation.