Anonymous grant helping vets finish school
When Domenico Fumarola deployed to Afghanistan in April 2013, he had the better part of a college degree under his belt.
By the time he got back in March 2014, the school had changed its course catalog, and Fumarola was back to 60 credit hours from a diploma. He went online instead, finishing two associate degrees.
Now, Fumarola is going back for his bachelor's degree. He's a military policeman in the Army National Guard, and he's also the first person benefiting from a new program that offers a stipend to low-income and underemployed veterans. He gets a $7,500 living stipend to pair with his service grant – $2,500 a semester for three semesters – and all he has to do is maintain regular attendance and a 2.5 GPA.
"The scholarship's awesome. I think it's a big incentive for a lot of military people to come back (to school)," he said. "I think it's good for fellow veterans to know about it and take advantage of it."
The stipends are run through Cincinnati's Union Institute & University and funded through an anonymous $293,000 grant. This is the first year of the program, and it's open to 15 veterans from specific Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana counties.
Applications, available at www.myunion.edu/stipend, are due by April 30 for spring or summer terms.
"The money is going to really help them," said Geri Maples, program coordinator. "It's not just giving them an education but preparing them to use it afterward."
Ohio ranks sixth in the nation for its number of veterans, with about 900,000 statewide, according to a release from the institute. That includes about 10,000 veterans in Greater Cincinnati.
Union Institute is geared toward adult learners, so while students have the option of traditional classes, they also may attend online if it fits easier into their schedules, Maples said.
Her husband is a disabled veteran, suffering post traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury from a 2003-04 tour in Iraq. He can't work, Maples said, but she has dedicated her professional life to helping veterans make the transition to being a civilian.
In the future, she hopes the stipend program will expand to serve more veterans.
"The transition is difficult if you don't have someone that understands what you're going through," she said. "It's difficult when you get out and you don't have that support."
Fumarola is studying for a bachelor's degree in business management. He expects to be done by December, because the institute accepted his transfer credits, he said.
Right now, he's working as a park ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers, and when his military service is up, he plans to re-enlist with the National Guard, he said.
He's happy where he is, he said, but his ultimate goal would be to get a job with the secret service.
Stipend info
What: A $7,500 living allowance for underemployed or low-income veterans, with the ultimate goal of allowing veterans to earn a college degree debt-free
Where: Union Institute & University
When: The deadline to apply for the Spring/Summer term is April 30. Applications are available online at www.myunion.edu/stipend
Who: The program is open to veterans in:
•Ohio – Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland and Warren counties
• Kentucky – Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Mason, Owen, Pendleton and Trimble counties.
• Indiana – Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland and Union counties.
How: The program is funded through an anonymous $293,000 grant
For more information, contact Veterans Coordinator Geri Maples at 513-487-1103, 800-861-6400 x1103 or via email at vetadmissions@myunion.edu