Colleges join VFW for Veterans Academic Fair on Feb. 6

A “Veterans Academic Fair” on Saturday, Feb. 6 at VFW Post 782 at 176 South Winooski Avenue in Burlington, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will be a “one-stop-shop” for anybody wanting answers about the GI Bill and scholarship opportunities at local colleges.

Veterans-office coordinators from Saint Michael’s College, the University of Vermont, Champlain College and Community College of Vermont partnered with VFW Post 782 to organize the event, and will be on hand to answer academic questions from veterans or military family members.

One fair organizer and participant is Nicolas Thornbro, Saint Michael’s College interim coordinator of veteran and military services. A political science major now in his final year of study, Thornbro is a 15-year U.S. Army veteran whose service included three deployments to Iraq before his 2011 retirement from the military as a Sergeant First Class.

This past November, Thornbro moderated a well-attended Veteran’s Day Panel at Saint Michael’s organized by Student Veterans of America (SMC SVA), during which SVA members offered insight into life for veterans before, during and after involvement with the military. Saint Michael’s currently has about 15 student veterans on the G.I. Bill – a federal act that provides financial assistance to veterans and/or their dependents.

For further information on this Saturday’s Veterans Academic Fair:

Nicholas Thornbro 802-654-2707

David Carlson, University of Vermont, 802-656-0581

Kyle Aines, Community College of Vermont, 802-786-5185

David Boyle, Champlain College, 802-865-5777