The PSEG Foundation has awarded the Thomas Edison State University (TESU) Foundation a $100,000 grant to establish the PSEG Military and Veteran Scholarship Fund. The funding will support TESU’s ongoing Operation Vet Success initiatives.
Facilitation and expansion of Operation Vet Success – and its precursor Military and Veteran Portal – were made possible through PSEG funding support. The virtual hub ensures that military veterans and active duty students transition to academic life and succeed in their studies. It also connects them to multiple career, health and disability resources and professional networking opportunities. The PSEG Military and Veteran Scholarship Fund expands on this robust framework by providing additional scholarship opportunities that directly support U.S. service members, with an emphasis on veterans.
“PSEG is a long-time partner and supporter of our institution and champion of our military veteran students,” said Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, president of the University. “We are immensely grateful to them for the 32 consecutive years of program funding and support they have provided.”
PSEG leadership affirmed the company’s commitment to veterans and the positive impact of veteran education initiatives that have resulted from its partnership with TESU.
“We’re proud to support veterans as they invest in themselves and their communities by investing in their educations,” said Calvin R. Ledford Jr., president, PSEG Foundation and director, Corporate Social Responsibility. “As a veteran-friendly workplace, PSEG thanks all veterans for their military service and for their continued contributions. We’re also pleased with the many success stories we’ve witnessed through our continued partnership with TESU.”
Many of TESU’s degree programs that are tailor-made for military members have also helped them transition into careers at PSEG. Those degree programs encompass Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology, Electronic Systems Engineering Technology, Technical Studies, Cybersecurity, Clinical Laboratory Science as well as Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“Our University has been a staunch supporter and academic partner to U.S. service members since 1973 and we remain focused on providing academic programs that maximize veterans’ military training as they transition from soldier to student, remaining leaders in our communities and the workforce. It is especially fitting that this latest scholarship support coincides with Veterans Day,” noted Hancock.
According to Craig Smith, director of Military and Veteran Enrollment and Outreach at TESU, during the previous year, 32 percent of the University’s 1,306 undergraduate veteran students were unable to use VA benefits to fund their university education. “Their military benefits were either transferred to eligible family members, had been exhausted or expired,” he noted. “The PSEG scholarship funding will provide crucial support and help bridge the gap for many military veterans who lose that funding.”
To learn more about Operation Vet Success, visit tesu.edu/military/veterans.
Source: https://www.tesu.edu/news/1777361/pseg-foundation-awards-100000-grant-to-tesu-to-support-military-students