A new funding opportunity is available from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to fund financial assistance for King County Veterans, military servicemembers, and their family members enrolled in Post-secondary Programs including, but not limited to, colleges, universities, and trade schools.
For many people, attaining a higher level of education is a critical step in increasing employment and income. However, many Veterans and military families face challenges in qualifying for federal benefits for higher education. Many Veterans have an ineligible discharge status, have experienced incarceration, are ineligible to use federal benefits due to time of separation from the military (benefits must be used within 15 years of active-duty separation), type of educational program, or they may not even know federal education benefits are available to them. Even for those who qualify, GI Bill benefits often do not cover full tuition costs.
Many student Veterans feel unsupported in navigating the complex rules for using Veterans’ benefits that are meant to help them, and these benefits are generally not available to Veteran Family members. Keeping Veterans and their family members enrolled in educational programs and removing barriers to accessing educational programs is an investment in the entire community’s vibrancy.
Funding overview
Funded entities must support Veterans and their families to attend Post-secondary Programs, including:
- Eligibility Determination Support: Assistance determining eligibility for Veterans’ benefits and for this program, which may include obtaining the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) education decision letter.
- Academic Financial Assistance: To pay for up to 90% of tuition and fees, for up to a 12-month period, not to exceed $15,000 per student.
- Case Management, including Flexible Financial Assistance (FFA)
- Up to $5,000 per student, per 12-month period.
- These are wraparound supports, including paying for short-term or one-time assistance provided to support students’ ability to meaningfully engage in the Post-secondary Program. FFA may be administered in the form of non-cash contributions directly to the service participant or in the form of payments made directly to third parties on behalf of the service participant (e.g., rent, utilities, childcare, etc.).
- Intensive navigation of VA benefits eligibility
Application details
Available funding: $2,241,837 in Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy funds
Investment period: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027
Questions: Contact Maria Pintar at mpintar@kingcounty.gov
Applications due: Submit by 2pm on April 16, 2025
Join the information session to learn more about the funding opportunity
A virtual information session to discuss questions related to this RFP will be held on March 19, 2025, 2:00 – 3:30pm.
Join by Teams:
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 298 713 997 487
Passcode: cy75ni9g
The information session will be recorded and posted at: https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/studentvets. For accommodations to participate, please contact Maria Pintar by March 14, 2025.
About the VSHSL
The Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), administered by the King County Department of Community and Human Services Adult Services Division, promotes healthy living, financial stability, social engagement, housing stability and service system access for veterans, seniors, and resilient communities.