09/26/2025
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Dear Veterans and Friends of Suffolk VUB,
We are deeply saddened to share that Suffolk University’s Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) TRIO program has been notified by the U.S. Department of Education that our grant has been cancelled. Services under this grant will end on September 30, 2025.
Since 2008, Suffolk VUB has served 125 veterans each year, providing free academic instruction, tutoring, advising, financial literacy, and college planning. We have consistently met or exceeded every objective set by the Department. Our most recent reports show that 80% of our veterans demonstrated academic improvement, 87% persisted in or completed the program, all completers enrolled in college within a year at more than 15 Massachusetts institutions, and 56% of the 2017-18 cohort completed a degree within six years. We were not scheduled to reapply for renewal until 2028, which makes this mid-cycle cancellation both unexpected and devastating.
The loss to our community is significant. Based on 2024 ACS census data, more than half of Massachusetts veterans live in our service area, yet only 2% hold bachelor’s degrees compared to over 1.7 million non-veterans. Since 2017, Suffolk VUB has been the only federally funded pre-college pathway for veterans in the Commonwealth. Its closure leaves veterans without this bridge to higher education.
The U.S. Department of Education cited our VetConnect socials as the sole reason for cancellation. These gatherings were designed as structured peer support circles, neutral spaces where veterans could share experiences and build resilience. In our application we described them using the term “restorative justice,” and that terminology alone was cited as grounds for ending the grant, despite the practice itself being consistent with longstanding Department of Veterans Affairs models of veteran-to-veteran support.
We have filed a formal request for reconsideration with the Department of Education, engaged our congressional delegation, and are evaluating legal options, but we cannot predict how long it will take or whether funding will be restored. In the meantime, we are working quickly to compile a list of resources that may help veterans access support elsewhere. Any inquiries or questions after the program’s date of cancellation, September 30, 2025, should be sent to Abraham Peña at [email protected].
Your voices matter. If VUB played a role in your education, your well-being, or your future, or in that of any individual you know or have worked with, we encourage you to share your story with us, with each other, and with your representatives. If you feel comfortable, you may also choose to share reflections with your communities or on social media. Whether spoken, written, or posted, your story helps make clear what this program has meant to your educational and/or personal journey. Just as importantly, we welcome you to share those reflections directly with us, so we can fully understand the impact VUB has had and ensure your perspectives are represented as we move forward.
While this is a painful moment, it is not the end of our fight. Thank you for your trust and for standing with us. We are in this together.
With gratitude and solidarity,
The VUB Team at Suffolk University
