Area colleges expand services for veterans

Veteran services at the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District are celebrating a series of accomplishments. So far this year, the veterans’ centers at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have served a combined total of more than 1,500 veterans and military-affiliated students, and offered additional programs, services, and partnerships to support students.

After Marine Corps veteran Gregory Pace took the helm of the Grossmont College Veteran’s Resource Center last fall, and began increased promotions for expanded services, the center has seen a surge in activity: visits are up 25% and counseling sessions are up 16% since the beginning of 2026, compared with the same period last year. Veterans Affairs (VA) certifications, which students need to receive the GI Bill and related education benefits, are up more than 18%.

Meanwhile, Cuyamaca College veterans services supervisor Robert Davis has also been increasing access to opportunities at their Veterans Center, and Cuyamaca College is on the verge of becoming the first community college in the country to enter into a formal partnership with Service2Schools, a nonprofit that provides free college and graduate school application counseling to veterans and service members. Davis is confident the partnership will boost veteran enrollment at the Rancho San Diego campus, while opening additional pathways for student veterans to transfer to more of the nation’s top universities.

“We’re aiming to become a feeder school not only to San Diego State and UC San Diego, but to several Ivy League campuses as well,” Davis said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have been excelling at serving veterans and military-affiliated students since they first opened their doors in 1961 and 1978, respectively. Grossmont College celebrated the grand opening of its expanded, state-of-the-art Veteran’s Resource Center in 2024, thanks to funding through voter-approved Proposition V, which also financed a major overhaul of the Veterans Center at Cuyamaca College.

In 2024, the East County Economic Development Council (EDC) honored the District with its “Partnership of the Decade” award, in part for its work advancing veteran services and workforce training. Military Times in 2024 ranked Cuyamaca No. 10 in California on its listing of Best for Vets colleges. In 2023, it was ranked No. 8 in the West, and in 2022 it was ranked No 15 in the West.

Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges partner with the Veterans East County Alliance (VECA), a collaboration that connects student veterans with business and employment opportunities throughout the region. As a result of their outreach and in-reach efforts, both Davis and Pace have each been nominated for a 2026 VECA Rise Up Award for their work supporting student veterans. Based on collective long-standing efforts to support veterans and military-affiliated students in East County, the District has also been nominated.

“From the District level, to our college presidents, administrators, faculty, classified professionals, and student workers, we are all committed to our military-affiliated students,” Davis said. “They don’t just pay lip service to what they do; they put their money where their mouth is.”

Pace noted such efforts are vital in serving a population dealing with unique challenges in transitioning from military to civilian life.

Area colleges expand services for veterans

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