Veterans Higher Education Corporation offers Veterans path to Scholarships

Veterans who want to earn Graduate-level degrees often cannot find support or funding for their pursuits. Veteran Higher Education Corporation (VHEC) offers a way for veterans to earn scholarships to help with tuition. VHEC is a 501(C) (3) organization that supports veterans and Duty Servicemen and Women obtaining Graduate-level degrees.

Founded by Charles B. King, VHEC awards academic grants to active duty, active reserves, and veterans pursuing Graduate degrees. King served in the United States Army National Guard. He was deployed to Iraq with the 726^th Maintenance Battalion where he was an Intelligence and Administrative Specialist for 18 months. When he returned from Iraq, he continued to serve in the California Army National Guard and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Chapman University. He wanted to continue his education but found that tuition assistance for veterans seeking graduate degrees was scarce.

“When I initially began searching for financial assistance for veterans like myself who wanted to accomplish academic goals beyond an undergraduate degree, I was disappointed that I could not find any organizations that promoted and fostered the idea,” said King. “I wondered how many veterans like me were trying to figure out how to pay for school.”

King founded VHEC in 2013, a private academic scholarship award program different from the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Veteran candidates who have a Bachelor’s degree are selected by VHEC. Academic merit-based grants are awarded to candidates who meet specific criteria:

• A Veteran or currently enlisted in any US branches of service
• Holds an honorable discharge status or active duty status
• Maintains a 3.0 GPA average or higher
• The completion of a minimum of four years of service in active duty or reserve

Awardees receive the full amount per semester. Proof of enrollment, a copy of their financial aid award letter from the university, and a copy of second and third-year recipients’ DD214 are required.

Scholarships are funded by private donors who contribute tax deductible donations. The VHEC determines who receives the scholarships.

“VHEC is a challenging endeavor, but I am enthusiastic and committed to helping my fellow Veterans in their efforts to achieve higher education goals without the burden of financial debt,” said King, who was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expedition and Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and US Army Service Ribbon. He administers VHEC with distinguished Board Members:

Fred Medrano is a Director at Veterans Higher Education Corporation and owner of BeyondSteel Inc. He is a veteran who started his career in 2002 as a Human Resource and Administrative Specialist. Upon his military training completion, Medrano was stationed in Korea, where he served active duty for 5 years. Upon completion of his tour, he enrolled at Cerritos College majoring in economics, while working as a consultant in the steel industry.

Beatus Mushi is Treasurer at VHEC. Beatus studied accounting with a concentration in Information Systems and Technology at the Institute of Accountancy, Arusha. He moved to the United States in 2004, and majored in Economics from Chapman University. Beatus joined the US Army in June 2009 as a combat medic and has been decorated with various awards, including the Commander’s Cup Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global war on terrorism Award and Joint Command Award. He has been working with the Special Forces Airborne Unit, and has visited more than 20 countries in the past five years of his services.

Beatus mentors his fellow comrades by organizing workshops to manage their finances during deployment. Beatus is currently serving in the US Army and plans to earn his MBA in the upcoming year.

With a 2011 Computer Engineering graduate from Purdue, with significant experience in programming, media, and entrepreneurship, Sam Singh serves as the webmaster and fundraising advisor at VHEC. He works as a software engineer with Wayfair.com. At Purdue, he worked as a research assistant analyzing student learning patterns, teaming interfaces, and managing admission records for incoming engineering freshmen. He was also a part of a startup, Veesearch, that aimed to solve the repetition of effort in searching and collaborating online.

During his high school, he founded and served as the President of ICare, a youth organization to involve students in philanthropic efforts and contribute to the betterment of the society. The organization organized multiple blood donation camps and raised considerable funds for the welfare of the blind.

More information is available on the VHEC web site: www.vheccorp.org