UHCL expands opportunities for veterans through $200,000 College Credit for Heroes grant
The University of Houston–Clear Lake is continuing to strengthen its support for veterans and military-connected students after receiving a $200,000 College Credit for Heroes (CCH) grant through the Texas Workforce Commission. The funding will help expand academic pathways, streamline military credit evaluations, and connect students more directly to workforce opportunities across Texas.
The grant initiative was led by Luis Polanco De Leon, director of UHCL’s Capt. Wendell M. Wilson Veteran & Military Resource Center, whose work has focused on building systems that recognize military experience as a valuable foundation for higher education and career advancement.
“The Veteran & Military Resource Center is honored to help bring this grant to UHCL through the Texas Workforce Commission,” Polanco De Leon said. “This funding reflects UHCL’s continued commitment to supporting veterans and military-affiliated students by creating stronger pathways between military experience, higher education, and career success.”
Polanco De Leon added that the grant will help expand opportunities for military-connected students to receive academic credit for their service and training while strengthening the resources and support available to them throughout their educational journey.
“We are grateful for the collaboration and support from university leadership and our community partners who continue investing in the success of those who have served,” he said.
Building pathways from service to success
The College Credit for Heroes initiative was created to help veterans and service members transition more seamlessly into higher education by translating military training, coursework, and occupational experience into college credit. For many military-connected students, that means avoiding repeated coursework, reducing education costs, and accelerating the path toward graduation and employment.
At UHCL, the effort has become part of a broader mission to rethink how institutions serve military-affiliated students, not simply by welcoming them to campus, but by intentionally designing systems that acknowledge the value of their lived experience from the moment they apply.
Since receiving its initial Tier I CCH funding in 2023, UHCL has approved 50 military course equivalencies and awarded more than 100 semester credit hours to veteran students, with more than 270 transfer hours applied toward degree completion. The new funding will allow UHCL to expand those efforts significantly over the next two years.
Planned initiatives include enhanced automation of military credit tracking within the university’s PeopleSoft system, expanded faculty training on the American Council on Education Military Guide, broader outreach to military communities, and deeper collaboration with workforce and employer partners throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Expanding access for military-connected students
UHCL currently serves more than 700 military-connected students annually, including veterans, active-duty service members, Guard and Reserve personnel, and military dependents. Through the CCH program, students can apply military training toward degree pathways in business, management, information technology, healthcare services, and public service leadership —fields aligned with high-demand workforce needs across Texas.
The university also plans to expand Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) opportunities for students whose military experience may not traditionally translate into academic credit, particularly Combat Arms veterans. Through PLA, students can demonstrate college-level knowledge gained through military training, leadership experience, and technical service outside of a traditional classroom setting. The goal is to create additional pathways for students to receive recognition for the skills and expertise developed during their service.
University leaders say the grant reflects a growing recognition that military-connected students bring substantial professional and leadership experience into the classroom, perspectives that can strengthen academic environments and the regional workforce.
“The Division of Student Affairs is deeply committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans and military-connected students by ensuring their experiences are recognized as valuable contributions to both higher education and the workforce,” said Dr. Tina Powellson, UHCL’s vice president for Student Affairs. “This grant strengthens our ability to remove barriers, expand opportunity, and create meaningful pathways from military service to academic and professional success. We are proud to continue building a campus culture that supports those who have served our country and empowers them to thrive.”
A hub of support beyond the classroom
Beyond academics, UHCL’s Capt. Wendell M. Wilson Veteran & Military Resource Center serves as a central support hub for military-affiliated students, connecting them with advising, career services, benefits assistance, transfer support, and community partnerships. Through collaborations with organizations such as Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, the Texas Army National Guard, workforce boards, and veteran-serving agencies, UHCL continues building a network designed to support students from enrollment through career placement.
As the university expands its College Credit for Heroes efforts, the focus remains on reducing barriers and creating clearer, more accessible pathways for those who have served.
Rather than asking military-connected students to start over, UHCL’s approach recognizes the education already earned through service and helps students turn that experience into momentum toward a degree, a profession, and long-term success.
For more information about the College Credit for Heroes program and veteran support services at UHCL, visit www.uhcl.edu/vmrc/.
