POINT PLEASANT — When faced with the challenge of going back to school after several years, one quickly learns how much information was actually retained from their high school days.

For local veterans facing this situation, refresher classes are being offered through a program called Veterans Upward Bound (VUB). Through this program, veterans can take these classes free of charge, which will help them prepare in subjects including English, math, science, and computer skills.

According to Academic Advisor Melissa Wall, the time and place for the classes in Point Pleasant will vary depending on the number of veterans enrolled, saying at least three people needed to be enrolled for the class to begin. Wall also noted the classes may take place at the Mid-Ohio Valley Center of Marshall University, but if they aren’t they will still be held at another location in Point Pleasant. The classes are also usually held one night a week for a period of eight or 12 weeks.

“The veterans that come to this program have been out of school for five, ten, even twenty years,” Wall said. “The refresher course just gets them back into the basic skills they will need to be successful in post-secondary classes.”

The program, which is based from Davis & Elkins College, also offers other services to veterans free of charge to help veterans with financial aid and understanding their GI benefits as well as correspondence to other veteran agencies. Wall also noted that veterans do not need to take the refresher classes in order to take advantage of their other services.

It was stated for veterans to receive help from VUB, they must not have received a dishonorable discharge. In addition, veterans must also receive a modest income or be a first-generation, meaning neither of their parents received a four-year college degree.

Refresher classes are also offered in Charleston, Huntington, and Parkersburg, as well as other locations around the state.

To register for the refresher classes or for more information on other services available to veterans, contact Wall at 606-205-1117, at wallm@dewv.edu, or visit www.vubwv.org. To reach the VUB main office, call 800-624-3157 ext. 1257.