Veterans, their spouses, and dependents are invited to apply to Rider’s Veteran Entrepreneurship Training (VET) program, a free, six-week experience to help participants develop the skills needed to develop a business concept or expand an existing venture. Additional coursework is available for those interested in pursuing college credit for the program.
Offered through Rider’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the program is capped at 20 students to ensure participants receive personalized feedback as they develop a business concept and conduct a feasibility analysis.
“As the program enters its 12th year, I am continually impressed by the veterans,” says Dr. Ron Cook, professor of entrepreneurship and the instructor for the program. “They are eager to learn, and I’ve seen some successful businesses develop as a result of their efforts in their program. My goal is to provide them with a framework for the critical decision-making and analytical skills needed for starting or growing a business.”
The program is made possible through the support of the New Jersey Bankers Charitable Foundation, Inc., which was established in 2005 to honor fallen or permanently disabled military members in the post-9/11 Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts by providing scholarships to their eligible dependents. In 2015, the purpose of the Foundation was expanded to include broader charitable causes in addition to veteran causes.
Rider University is a proud Yellow Ribbon school, continually recognized for its support of veterans and members of the military. Most recently, Rider was ranked No. 12 on the Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities North list by U.S. News & World Report and honored for its support of service members by Colleges of Distinction.
Applications are open now through May 15 unless capacity is reached earlier. The program will run on Wednesday evenings at Rider from 6 to 9 p.m. from May 21 to June 25. For more information and to apply, visit rider.edu/vep.
