MiraCosta College Receives $1.5M In Funding For Veterans Center

OCEANSIDE, CA — Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner-Horvath, D-Encinitas, will present $1.5 million in state funding Thursday to MiraCosta College to furnish a veterans center on the college's Oceanside campus.

The 1,424-square-foot facility will be located in the college's new student services building and include an 800-square-foot lounge, computer stations, access to an expanded textbook loan program and enhanced communication with U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The facility is intended to serve as a one-stop-shop for active-duty military members and veterans.

"MiraCosta College each year serves almost 3,500 students who are veterans, active-duty personnel or military dependents, and these funds will go a long way toward furthering the college's commitment to making sure they get the resources they deserve after giving so much in serving our nation," college Superintendent and President Sunita Cooke said.

MiraCosta is using funding from 2016's Measure MM, a voter-approved $455-million bond program to build the student services building among other modernization projects at its San Elijo and Oceanside campuses. Construction of the veterans center is expected to begin next year once designs are complete.

"As a representative of one of the largest military communities in the state, one of my top priorities is to ensure that our veterans receive the quality care, education, and services they earned while serving our country," Boerner-Horvath said. "I am proud to have secured $1.5 million in the state budget to expand veterans' resources at MiraCosta College to help veterans transition from the military into civilian life."

Boerner-Horvath will present college officials with a ceremonial check at the Oceanside campus at 1 Barnard Drive. The ceremony is expected to begin at 1 p.m.

– City News Service