Increasing Success in the Military and Veteran

Student MarketPromising Practices for

Creating and Maintaining a

Military-Inclusive Campus

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Proposed strengths in the FY 2013 House Bill H.R. 4310National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 passed May 18, 2012.

Authorized Military Strength

Active Duty

National Guard

Reserves

Total

Army 552,100 358,200 205,000 1,115,300

Marines 197,300 39,600 236,900

Navy 322,700 62,500 385,200

Air Force 330,383 106,005 72,428 508,816

Coast Guard

47,000 9,000 57,000

Total 1,449,483 464,205 388,528 2,302,216

Dept. of Veteran Affairs,

VetPop 2007 State Tables

Selected Veteran Population

State <20 20-24 25-29 30-34Total

Vet Pop.

California

844 29,968 73,744 81,3292,131,9

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Florida 411 17,745 47,601 57.6181,746,5

39

New York

380 11,110 26,197 27,8421,065,7

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Texas 727 24,038 66,148 80,4061,707,3

65

Virginia 398 13,875 33,384 38,586 807,326

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Military Market Subpopulations

• Active-Duty Members• Reserves and National//Air Guard• Veterans in the Community• Family Members

In terms of programs and services for military In terms of programs and services for military populations, one size does not fit all. populations, one size does not fit all.

Institutions need to assess their Institutions need to assess their military market and develop programs, services, military market and develop programs, services,

and outreach strategies accordingly.and outreach strategies accordingly.

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Characteristics of Military Students

• Have been in a disciplined environment• Sub-group of “nontraditional” students• More mature with work and family

responsibilities• College entry delayed• Many are first-generation students• Predominantly middle class

• DoD or VA funding for college• 4 million veterans have served since

9/11

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Tuition Assistance (TA)

• During 2010...approximately 350,000 service members used DoD tuition assistance (TA)

• Active duty/Guard service members enrolled in more than 1.1 million courses at a cost of $641 million• US Army/National Guard $316 million• US Air Force/Air Guard $182 million• US Navy $92 million• US Marine Corps $36 million • US Coast Guard $14 million

• Past decade TA costs grew 181%, while number of courses supported increased 27%

Marine Corps Times, 6/6/2011

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Post 9/11 GI Bill - The Benefits

• $22.7 Billion spent during the past four years

• Nearly 847,000 received benefits• Additional 500,000 have applied for benefits• Estimated that more than $4 Billion spent by

VA on transferred benefits• Average cost per student is $15,871 a year

for tuition, fees, living stipend, and other allowances

Navy Times (12/5/2011)Army Times (6/29/2012)

VA Department Update on 10/24/2012

88

Use of VA Education Benefits

College or University Coursework Leading to a Degree

64.8%

Other Programs5.8%

Business, Technical, or Vocational School

Leading to a Certificate or Diploma

23.5%

Apprenticeship orOJT Training

7.5%

Correspondence Courses7.2%

Flight Training3.1%

Teacher CertificationPrograms

1.6%

Tutorial Assistance, Refresher Courses,

or Deficiency Training1.6%

National Survey of Veterans - Final Report (2010)

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Use of VA Education Benefits

• When benefits were used...• During active service (7.9%)• After active service (86.4%)• During and after active service (12.3%)

• Completed training or received degree/certificate (66.6%)

• VA Benefits were extremely or very important in meeting educational goals/preparing to get a better job (73.2%)

• Primary reason benefits not used - Not aware of benefits (36.6%)

National Survey of Veterans - Final Report (2010)

1010

Veterans in the Community

• 225,000 leave military service every year• 70-71% ultimately use a portion of earned GI

Bill benefits• 74% are on average between the ages of 20 - 34

• Contact veterans in the area through:• Word of mouth from other veterans• Military recruiters• Reserve/Guard Retention and Transition NCOs• Veteran Service Organizations

• VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, IAVA, SVA

1111

Reaching Military Students

• Military Service Education

Centers

• Military Recruiting Units

• Reserve Centers

• National Guard Armories

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Promoting Best Practices

• Military Student Bill of Rights - all military student populations have basic rights to satisfactory college marketing, admissions, student services practices

• Institutional flexibility appropriate to service members

• Protect and assure quality of education programs for service members; uphold all commitments or promises to military students

• Support for returning service members by faculty and administration

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College Initiatives

• Enrollment Management• Simplified/expedited application for

readmission• Extended/flexible enrollment deadlines• Scholarships• ConAP Participation

• Student Services• Veterans support groups/centers/lounges• Counseling services• Veteran appreciation activities• Veteran housing

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College Initiatives

• Academics• Academic advising services focused on

military students• Academic research addressing the needs of

returning service members• Veteran-only sections of core courses

• Technology• Tracking military students• Online resources including paper editing,

library services, access to professors and advisors

• Asynchronous learning opportunities

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Military/Veteran Inclusive Institutions

• Take a community-based approach• Form a working group to explore ways to be

more flexible and responsive to service member and veteran needs

• Give your veterans a voice...get feedback• Host a focus group of veterans and service

members on institutional policies and services

• Awareness of military/veteran issues/culture• Build a strong web presence• Establish specific points of contact• Publish concise information on transfer credit

for military experience and other policies

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Institutional Examples of Veterans

Services Information• University of the Incarnate Word• http://veterans.uiw.edu

• Eastern Kentucky University• http://va.eku.edu

• Tidewater Community College• http://www.tcc.edu/students/military/

• San Diego State University• http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/veterans/

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Summary

• Military students and veterans are a valuable asset to any college community

• Understand the different components of the military market in your region and how you can connect with them

• Get feedback from your current veterans

• Establish partnerships to maximize opportunities