In collaboration with the ABI Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs, CARE presented to a group of veterans through the Warriors-Scholar Project this fall. The Warrior-Scholar Project hosts intensive one- and two-week college-preparatory academic boot camps for enlisted veterans and transitioning servicemembers, with the mission to empower them to succeed in higher education.
The transition to civilian life can be difficult for many servicemembers. As a member of the military, housing, food, apparel and insurance expenses are covered, but there are many more expenses that need to be directly covered once they re-enter civilian life, and new veterans often must learn how to budget their finances. With this mind, we focused on the following topics in our outreach:
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- student loans & paying for college, including the smartest use of the GI Bill;
- building credit and understanding credit scores;
- avoiding scams targeting veterans and active-duty military personnel; and
- financial considerations they need to be aware of when transitioning out of the military, including tax issues and child-support modifications.
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The speakers included Justin Bernbrock, an attorney with Sheppard Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP; Hon. Mary Grace Diehl, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge; Tammy Hettinger, CARE’s Executive Director; Hon. Mary Jo Heston, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge; Jessica Hopton Youngberg, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court law clerk; Vanessa Lantin, a management consultant and U.S. legal advisor; Hon. Margaret Mann, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge; and Hon. Charles Walker, a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge and Brigadier General in the Air National Guard.
CARE is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the ABI Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs and the Warrior-Scholar Project. We know we are stronger when we work with others to achieve our goals. Collaboration is one of the core values that guide CARE’s work, and we look forward to continuing this program in 2022 and beyond.
About the ABI Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs
The task force’s mission is to unite and effectively deploy the best of the varied talent resources within the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) to understand, respond to and coordinate with other institutions and organizations to educate, remediate, and prevent adverse debt concerns and impacts on veterans and servicemembers to ensure that we financially strengthen those who strengthen us, with the respect and dignity they deserve. For more information, visit https://veterans.abi.org/.
About the Warrior-Scholar Project
In partnership with top colleges and universities, the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) hosts intensive one- and two-week college-preparatory academic boot camps for enlisted veterans and transitioning servicemembers. Boot camps are offered in three disciplines: Humanities, STEM, and Business & Entrepreneurship. Through faculty lectures, workshops and research projects, tailored assignments, and one-on-one tutoring, warrior-scholars acquire the skills to succeed in higher education and navigate the cultural shift from military service to college. Throughout the course, warrior-scholars are mentored by student veterans who have successfully transitioned from the military to college. All programming is provided at no cost. For more information, visit https://www.warrior-scholar.org/.
