Understanding the Military Market:

Transcription

1 Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Understanding the Military Market: Promising Practices for Creating and Maintaining a Military-Friendly Institution

2 Agenda Characteristics Subpopulations Contacts Attract and Retain Military Students Promoting Best Practices Military Friendly Uncertain If Your Institution is Military Friendly? Summary

3 Characteristics of Military Students Have been in a disciplined job environment Sub-group of nontraditional students Mature with work and family responsibilities Delayed college entry Many are first-generation students Leadership skills Money and other education benefits for college Excellent students dedicated to their education College degree is means to meeting career goals

4 Veteran Population by Age Group State < Total Population Louisiana 180 6,528 15,084 15, ,889 Mississippi ,349 9, ,644 Texas ,603 67,986 82,785 1, Arkansas 107 3,785 8,755 10, ,664 Oklahoma 149, ,552 15, ,714 Source: VetPop 2010 State Tables

5 Potential Military Market Service Active Duty National Guard Reserves Total Army 547, , ,000 1,110,600 Navy 328,800 65, ,300 Marines 202,100 39, ,700 Air Force 331, ,700 69, ,900 Coast Guard 49,954 10,000 59,954 Total 2,314,454 Authorized strengths in the FY 2010 Defense Budget

6 Military Market Subpopulations Active-Duty Members National Guard and Reserves Veterans in the Community Family Member Spouse Children

7 Contacts in the Military Military Education Centers Reserve Centers National Guard State Education Office Military Recruiting Units Veterans in the community - word of mouth

8 Attract and Retain Military Students Recruiters/ESOs introduce college POCs to Reserve and Guard POCs Interaction with the military Develop relationships/partnerships Literature rack in Reserve Center or Guard Armory Drill Weekends Offer to speak with soldiers not enrolled in college or stalled in their degree completion Invite soldiers to campus for an orientation Support/sponsor special events Meet special academic or degree program needs of the unit

9 Promoting Best Practices Institutional flexibility appropriate to servicemembers Protect and assure quality of education programs for servicemembers Military Student Bill of Rights - all military student populations have basic rights to satisfactory college marketing, admissions, student services practices Support for returning warriors by faculty and admin Awareness of military/veteran issues

10 Military Friendly Institutions Build a strong web presence Give your veterans a voice Establish specific points of contact Publish concise information on transfer credit for military experience Take a community-based approach (American Council on Education, 2008)

11 How Colleges are Responding Simplified/expedited registration/application/reenrollment Counseling services focused on servicemembers Support groups, centers, lounges for veterans Community based peer support programs and outreach Scholarship/grant opportunities Deferred tuition plans to accommodate paperwork lags (i.e., Chapter 33) Academic research addressing needs of veterans Faculty/staff orientation

12 OH Youngstown State University Office of Veterans Affairs - resource for returning vets; waive application and orientation fees for veterans and current military personnel OR Eastern Oregon University Information for returning vets OR Oregon Army National Guard Reintegration program PA DeSales University Military Benefits PA Penn State University Training will prepare military recreation managers to assist service members returning to active duty PA Penn State University Back from Iraq - Veterans Stories Project PA Robert Morris University Tuition-free degree. For veterans in enrolling and earning their degree the RMU Veterans Education and Training Services Center (VETS Center) provides a host of transitional services to veterans and their families. The spouses and dependents of veterans SC Trident Technical College Veterans Upward Bound - Brian Juden TX Ft. Bliss Youth Education Support Services Information on scholarship opportunities for military members/dependents) TX Texas A&M University Provides 25 scholarships, known as Honored Service Scholarships, each valued at $3,000. They are intended to supplement the living expenses of the veterans who qualify for the stipends and have a demonstrated need for such assistance. To qualify, a recipi TX University of Houston Veterans Web page TX University of Texas Returning veterans TX University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center TX University of Texas-El Paso Veterans Home Page UT Weber State University Veterans Home Page and Veterans Upward Bound and UT Weber State University Free writing workshops for veterans - improve communication skills VA ECPI Offers annual scholarships of up to $6,000 for severely injured service members.

13 Uncertain? Convene a focus group of veterans/servicemembers to share feedback on institutional policies and services Engage veterans who have benefited from peer support programs Working group including all stakeholders to explore how to best serve and support veterans Campus-based student veteran organization to support veterans transitional needs

14 A Few Guidelines What can schools do? Who speaks for veterans? Who is veterans champion? Who understands the veteran population? Who helps with transition to the academic world? Who speaks their language?

15 Summary Military students and Veterans are an asset to any college community Understand the different components of the military market ktand dhow they can be an asset Establish partnerships to maximize opportunities

16 Contact Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges 1307 New York Avenue, NW Fifth Floor Washington, DC Phone: ; Fax: