Increasing Success in the Military and Veteran Student Market Promising Practices for Creating and Maintaining a Military-Inclusive Campus

2 Proposed strengths in the FY 2013 House Bill H.R National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 passed May 18, Authorized Military Strength Active Duty National Guard ReservesTotal Army552,100358,200205,0001,115,300 Marines197,30039,600236,900 Navy322,70062,500385,200 Air Force330,383106,00572,428508,816 Coast Guard 47,0009,00057,000 Total1,449,483464,205388,5282,302,216

Dept. of Veteran Affairs, VetPop 2007 State Tables Selected Veteran Population State< Total Vet Pop. California84429,96873,74481,3292,131,939 Florida41117,74547, ,746,539 New York38011,11026,19727,8421,065,749 Texas72724,03866,14880,4061,707,365 Virginia39813,87533,38438,586807,326

4 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 populations, one size does not fit all. Institutions need to assess their military market and develop programs, services, and outreach strategies accordingly.

5 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

6 Tuition Assistance (TA) During 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

7 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

8 Use of VA Education Benefits College or University Coursework Leading to a Degree 64.8% Other Programs 5.8% Business, Technical, or Vocational School Leading to a Certificate or Diploma 23.5% Apprenticeship or OJT Training 7.5% Correspondence Courses 7.2% Flight Training 3.1% Teacher Certification Programs 1.6% Tutorial Assistance, Refresher Courses, or Deficiency Training 1.6% National Survey of Veterans - Final Report (2010)

9 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)

10 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 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

11 Reaching Military Students Military Service Education Centers Military Recruiting Units Reserve Centers National Guard Armories

12 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

13 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

14 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

15 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

16 Institutional Examples of Veterans Services Information University of the Incarnate Word Eastern Kentucky University Tidewater Community College San Diego State University

17 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