Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology Harriman, Hartsville & Knoxville earn VETS Campus certification for their services to help veterans succeed

The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology at Harriman, Hartsville and Knoxville have earned VETS Campus certification by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, certifying the colleges’ commitment to programs and services to help veterans succeed as they pursue their education.

The VETS Campus program was established by the Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Act, enacted by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2014 to assist veterans of military service in continuing their education. The Act details a rigorous set of seven programs, requirements and qualifications that colleges and universities must meet to earn VETS Campus certification.

The three new certifications increase to 23 the number of Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) colleges officially designated as VETS Campuses: all 13 community colleges and 10 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) – Chattanooga, Crossville, Dickson, Harriman, Hartsville, Knoxville, Jacksboro, Jackson, McMinnville and Nashville. The goal of TBR and its Office of Student Success is to assist all colleges in the system in achieving this designation. The remaining TCATs are working toward certification.

To earn certification, the Act requires colleges to prioritize outreach to veterans, allocate resources for their successful transition from military service to college, and successfully deliver services that create a supportive environment where student veterans can prosper while pursuing their education.

Under provisions of the Act, veterans and active-duty military personnel may be eligible to earn college credit for their military training and experience, depending on the applicability of the training and experience to the educational program they choose.

Specific requirements of the VETS Act include mentoring and support programs for student veterans; creating and maintaining a process for assessing prior learning that grants academic credit to veterans for transferable training and experience attained through their military service; conducting annual surveys of student veterans’ views, needs, issues and suggestions; providing special orientation programs for student veterans; special outreach to veterans, and more.

“We’re delighted that three more of our colleges have earned this distinction because our veterans deserve the programs and services VETS Campus certification requires,” said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. The colleges’ presidents, faculty and staff have worked hard to make sure that their campuses are welcoming and supportive of students who have served our country.”

Dr. Tydings has prioritized service to veterans across the system. She established the Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans, which honors veterans in the campus communities during the colleges’ annual Veterans Day observances, and established a system-level veterans service office to assist veterans and the colleges.

“Our college communities are strengthened by the presence of veterans and active-duty personnel as students, faculty, staff and alumni,” Tydings said. “They and the experiences and perspectives they bring are an important part of the broad diversity of people and backgrounds on our campuses that benefits everyone.” 

Additional information on financial assistance, academic credit for military training and experience and other resources for veterans is available at https://www.tbr.edu/student-success/veterans-and-military-families-support.

The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology offer a broad range of career and technical education programs:

• TCAT Harriman’s programs are here.
• TCAT Hartsville’s programs are here.
• TCAT Knoxville’s programs are here.