Published Jan. 22, 2010
By Chelsea Kopta, KEPR TV
PASCO — Combat Veterans International helped CBC student veterans keep their college dreams alive Friday. The group donated $15,000 to the college for a scholarship that will pay for student supplies the GI Bill doesn’t cover.
GI Bills cover tuition costs but don’t always pay for books, fees or supplies.
“I just have some miscellaneous study guide books,” Amy Bruchman said as she stacked her books one on top of the other.”How much did those books cost you?” Action News asked. “About $410.”
Amy Bruchman is a second-year student at CBC and in the US Army Reserves. Her tuition is paid for by the Montgomery GI Bill – for selected Reservists – but clearly, she pays a pretty penny for her books. And that’s just for one quarter.
“It’s pretty limited on the funding,” she said. “It doesn’t cover any of the books, it doesn’t cover any of the school expenses,” she said.
Bruchman’s one of 200 military students at CBC receiving benefits, but who often foot the bill for the basics.
“Because of the way GI Bill works, sometimes it takes a long time before students see monies,” Jennifer Bateman said, Program Coordinator in the Financial Services
The Post-911 GI Bill is the only one that pays for a book allowance and even then, students don’t get the cash upfront. Veterans receiving benefits before 2001 don’t get book money at all.
“They raised a lot of money and they delivered on that promise,” CBC President Rich Cummins said during his speech to the group.
Combat Veterans International is helping close the cash gap with a $15,000 scholarship. Various combat veterans and children of combat vets will be awarded $500 a quarter to pay for books, materials and fees. Members of CVI told Action News that it was a way to give back to their comrades after their own experiences at the college.
“When we had this opportunity to come back to the college and to the combat veterans, we’re killing two birds with one stone and i mean it was a win-win situation, you can’t lose.”
“oh, I think it’s a huge blessing,” Bruchman said. “You know, even if you don’t qualify for it it’s nice that people are recognizing the need and reaching out to veterans.”
Although Bruchman hasn’t seen combat yet, she still plans to apply and maybe put a dent in the bill for books.
Student vets have until February 22 to apply. The scholarship will focus on combat vets, picking two new ones every quarter, but non-combat vets can still apply.
The local vets’ chapter raised the money by raffling off a motorcycle from Thunder Ally Victory Motorcycles in Kennewick. The group managed to sell enough tickets to pay for the bike in three months.
To find out how to apply, check out Columbia Basin College’s website.