Thomas Edison State University demonstrated its ongoing commitment to student veterans by signing the Got Your 6 pledge to continue providing supportive services and programs to veterans and their families.
The University joined New Jersey’s eight other state colleges and universities that initiated the New Jersey-based Operation College Promise (OCP), in supporting Operation College Promise in its partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation and Student Veterans of America to uphold the Education Pillar of the Got Your 6 program.
The organizations are collecting 500 pledges from colleges and universities willing to commit to providing resources, programs, and policies to support their veteran population by 2014.
“Higher education will play a critical role helping service members to prepare for careers as they return home and transition to civilian life,” said Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College and home to the largest military and veteran student population in New Jersey. “New Jersey’s senior public institutions of higher education look forward to continuing our service to those who defend and serve our country and are proud of our mutual commitment in supporting the Got Your 6 pledge.”
Joining Thomas Edison State University and nearly 40 other institutions that have signed the pledge are The University of New Jersey, Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Rowan University, Thomas Edison State University, and William Paterson University.
The nine members of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities collectively educate about 105,000 students – about 15,000 of whom have a military affiliation. Today, OCP works with schools and nonprofits across the nation to support both veterans and service providers.
“The New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities is proud to join forces with the Pat Tillman Foundation and SVA in answering an important call to duty – supporting our nation’s veterans in their pursuit of a college degree,” said Michael Klein, Executive Director of the Association. “The Got Your 6 message is something that our institutions strongly embrace, and it naturally complements our public mission to provide accessible and affordable higher education.”
About Operation College Promise
Operation College Promise (OCP) is a national policy, research and education program based in Trenton, New Jersey, which supports the transition and postsecondary advancement of our nation’s veterans. The program’s mission is to support student veterans “To, Through and Beyond” the attainment of their higher education objectives. Founded in 2008 as a web-based resource, the project was initiated by the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) to centralize transition information for servicemembers on a comprehensive website. Today, the program has reached more than 300 institutions in 25 states through its signature training – the Certificate for Veterans’ Service Providers (CVSP) program and is a national leader in research efforts on student veterans’ progress toward degree and employment, as well as in the development of innovative degree plans for military students.
Toni M. Terry, BA