With an estimated 2.2 million veterans residing in California, the state leads the nation in the number of veterans.  That number is expected to increase dramatically as more military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan complete their service. 

The majority of these students enroll in a California community college.  In 2009, more than 26,600 veterans utilized education benefits at a California community college. In addition, there are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 active duty personnel enrolled annually at community colleges across the state, not including dependents.

A college education has become an absolute necessity for veterans returning to civilian life, and community colleges provide the majority of this education, as most veterans are ineligible for direct admission to the University of California or the California State University systems.

These pages contain information on the programs and services designed to foster and support the success of student veterans and assist in the transition to civilian and student life.  They include several model community college programs that serve student veterans.

California's Troops to College initiative was announced by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in March 2006 to provide educational opportunities and assistance to active duty service members and veterans by the state’s premier education segments and related agencies. He specifically targeted increased instructional opportunities to men and women on active duty, the National Guard and the Reserves.

Through this initiative, California Community Colleges have joined the UC and CSU systems in partnering with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Office of the Secretary of Education, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and military branches within the state to provide active duty and eligible veterans information, enrollment guidance and assistance, and data about other programs offered by California’s public institutions of higher education.  The purpose of this partnership is to inform military personnel of all the advantages of enrolling in public colleges and universities.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO), the Faculty Association for California Community Colleges (FACCC) and the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC), with generous support from JP Morgan Chase, held the first inagural California Community Colleges Veterans Summit in San Diego on December 2, 2011.  This one day conference on serving student veterans was a tremendous success!  Videos of each session can be found by clicking here and links to program materials can be found on the FACCC website.

The Chancellor's Office recently completed a report outlining the myriad of programs and services designed to support student veterans throughout the system, an electronic version of the report can be found byclicking here.

The Chancellor’s Office received a second $75,000 grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation (ZFF) to support the continuation of The Welcome Home Project: Creating a Campus Climate of Wellness for Returning Veterans.  The training program for faculty and staff is about the mental health needs of student veterans and focuses on awareness and integration of services.

To find a college near you, please click here.

• Wednesday, March 28th to Thursday, March 29th - Chancellor's Office Regional Representatives meeting at the Chancellor's Office in Sacramento, CA.