Purdue Global lands $1.36m TRIO grant for online veteran support

The five-year award will fund tutoring, financial guidance, counseling, and mentoring for up to 120 eligible veteran students.

Purdue Global has received a $1.36 million federal TRIO grant to support up to 120 eligible veteran students

Purdue Global has received a $1.36 million federal TRIO grant to create a Veterans Student Support Services program for military veterans studying through the online university.

Purdue Global says the award makes it the first fully online institution to receive the grant. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Education and is contracted through Purdue University.

The five-year award totals $1,361,820 and will run through September 2030. Purdue Global says all of the funding will be allocated to the new veteran support program.

Up to 120 eligible veteran students will receive access to academic tutoring, course selection support, financial literacy education, individual counseling, and mentoring.

The university will also create three positions dedicated to supporting veterans as they work toward associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Grant will support retention and graduation

Purdue Global plans to use the funding to improve retention and graduation rates among participating veteran students. Military-affiliated learners account for 28 percent of Purdue Global’s student population, although the university has not provided a separate figure for the number of enrolled veterans who may meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

Barbara Kent, Director of Military Student Relations at Purdue Global and a U.S. Army veteran, says: "On behalf of Purdue Global’s students who are veterans, we are thrilled to be the first fully online institution to receive this TRIO grant."

She adds: "The Student Support Services program award is the largest, most competitive of the TRIO grants, so this will have a significant impact on our students."

Support package includes three new roles

The Veterans Student Support Services program will combine academic, financial, and personal support.

Academic tutoring and course selection assistance are intended to help students plan and progress through their programs. Financial literacy education will cover the money-related decisions associated with studying and completing a degree.

Individual counseling and mentoring will provide more direct support to participating veterans. The online delivery model means eligible veterans will be able to access support without attending a physical campus, although the university has not detailed how tutoring, counseling, and mentoring will be scheduled or delivered.

Purdue Global is a nonprofit public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It primarily serves working adults and allows students to apply previous college study, professional experience, and military service toward some degree pathways.

Kent says: "This reflects the commitment of Purdue Global’s leadership to serving veterans and supporting them in reaching their academic goals and sets a precedent for meeting the needs of our students in the ever-changing landscape of online education opportunities."

Purdue Global receives Indiana’s only veteran-focused award

The U.S. Department of Education issued 1,181 Student Support Services awards during the current funding cycle. Of those, 22 were specifically designated for programs serving veterans.

Fifteen TRIO Student Support Services grants were awarded across Indiana, with Purdue Global receiving the state’s only award dedicated to veteran services. The source material does not identify the other institutions receiving veteran-focused awards nationally or provide comparative funding figures for those programs.

Purdue Global’s grant will remain in place through September 2030, with the university expected to support up to 120 veteran students and establish three dedicated staff roles during the five-year funding period.