Alex Dant
3 September 2019
There is good news for military veterans who need help with textbooks: Books for Battle Buddies program is currently assisting student veterans with textbook costs. Veteran students who sign up on the program website will have access to over 400 books, all of which are available in the Books for Battle Buddies library.
Textbooks are a common cost for college students and military affiliated students are able to rent textbooks through the program, including not only veterans but anyone who receives funding through the GI Bill of Rights.
According to the Veteran Student Success Coordinator and program head Burcu Johnson, there are over 400 textbooks for students to choose from that and can be rented for a semester. Donations are a major way that the program receives books. Donations can be made in the Veteran Center, located on the east side of the Gateway building near Public Safety.
The program was started two years ago by former engineering student and veteran Cori Trenchick. He initially came up with the idea to help former military students with the cost of books by providing some to rent for free.
Since the program started, their library has expanded to 400 books and around 221 students have signed up.
Javan Bair, a communication major expected to graduate in 2023 and a student employee at the McCord-Herbst Student Veteran Center, is one of the students who took advantage of the Books for Battle Buddies program and signed up this semester. Bair says that the program has been helpful for obtaining textbooks without the financial burden that comes with purchasing them.
Bair said that he used the program both this semester and last, and discovered the program because of a poster in the Veteran Center.
“[The program is] a super good resource for vets,” Bair said, adding that it’s a resource that some veterans on campus do not know much about, but it is something that other former military could benefit from.
The Veteran Center offers multiple other resources and programs for student veterans, including the Veteran Tutoring Center, which is a space for veterans to help other veterans who need or want additional academic resources and the Boots to Suits program which, according to their website, is a program meant to help students better transition into civilian workplaces.
The Student Veterans Organization also operates out of the Veteran Center, and “provides veterans, military members, and their families with resources, support, and advocacy needed for student success during and after enrollment at UCCS” according to the program website.
There are also various mental health checks provided for veterans including general mental health and concussion screenings. Veterans also have access to the Veterans Health and Trauma Clinic, which is intended to help veterans recover from potential psychological challenges that arise not only from military service, but also from other potentially traumatic incidents including natural disasters, domestic violence and auto accidents.
Steps for how to sign up for the Books for Battle Buddies program can be found on the program’s website: https://www.uccs.edu/military/programs/books-for-battle-buddies.