Faced with the task of paying college tuition on top of hospital bills and disability expenses, student veterans may have more trouble than the average student making getting by.
University of Idaho student veterans can find solace in a program unique to the western U.S. — Operation Education.

Newly appointed chair, Dianne Daley-Laursen said the average veteran graduates college with $34,000 to $38,000 in debt. She said the goal of Operation Education is to make that number zero.
“If that family has served for us, we want to serve them,” she said.
The scholarship program offers a variety of resources for veterans wounded after Sept. 11 and their spouses including funds for tuition, disability access, learning resources in the classroom and childcare.
ASUI President Garrett Holbrook said the program is not only beneficial to veterans, but to other students. He said students can learn from veterans with diverse backgrounds.

“It brings in students that are so deserving,” he said. “We get to hear a perspective that we otherwise wouldn’t have.”
Daley-Laursen said she was attracted to the volunteer position because of her military background. With her father and stepbrother serving in the military, she moved 17 times before her 21 birthday.
“I didn’t think you could have a job unless it was in the military,” she said.

She has held many volunteer positions throughout Moscow. Beside being a self-proclaimed soccer mom, she also served as director for Rendezvous in the Park, a summer music celebration, and on the board for the Palouse Discovery Science Center, a non-profit organization advocating the understanding of science, math and technology.

“Making a difference is something that really fills my cup,” she said.
Holbrook said he is confident having Daley-Laursen leading the program.
“She has that genuine caring dynamic that you need in the position,” he said.
Daley-Laursen is the second first lady of the university to serve as the Operation Education chair. Former UI first lady and chair Karen White co-founded the program in 2006 as the first university program to cater specifically to post Sept. 11 veterans.

There are currently three students on campus who benefit from Operation Education. Daley-Laursen said she hopes to sustain that number at four annually.
In the upcoming year, Daley-Laursen said she plans to cement the program so it can run successfully without an established leader. She said this involves increasing funding to assure all awarded students have the money needed.
“The last thing you want to do is recruit someone you can’t support,” she said.

Over $400,000 has been given this year from private donors, Daley-Laursen said. She said she hopes to get larger corporations interested as well.
How the money is divided between students varies based on need. Every attempt is made to exhaust all funding opportunities in addition to Operation Education, Daley-Laursen said, to ensure students leave campus with as little debt as possible.

The program interacts with transportation providers, tutors, financial aid and the UI Office of Veterans Affairs, among others. Daley-Laursen said a strong web of communication between these entities is another aspect that will determine how well the program can function on its own.
“Everything takes money, but it also takes coordination,” she said.

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