What do military-affiliated students need to succeed in college? We went directly to the source to find out.
In episodes 75 and 76 of the HigherEdJobs Podcast, a panel of military-affiliated students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) joined co-hosts Andrew Hibel and Kelly Cherwin. The students shared their unique stories and discussed how institutions can create a sense of belonging and help this population succeed in college.
Making Time and Explaining Various Benefits
The students, some of whom now work in UNLV’s Military & Veterans Services Center, praised the institution and staff members in the office for their responsiveness, dedication, and continued efforts to engage student veterans.
This attitude was a welcome surprise for Justin Harms, a Navy veteran who started an associate’s program at a different institution, where it seemed the veterans office never had time for him. “It was just three people that really didn’t have time for me to ask questions at all,” he said. “I would call in and speak to them, and I would have to come up with these questions on my own. And it was one step in front of the other — and sometimes that step, I couldn’t even see it.”
Upon entering UNLV, he immediately noticed a difference in the veterans office, where support and integration are top priorities.
The office sends frequent emails to keep students engaged and remind them of the support and services that the staff can offer.
Depending on unique circumstances, veterans often qualify for various types of funding, and the veterans office on campus plays a vital role in educating each student on what’s available to them. All four students on the panel described UNLV’s office as responsive and indicated that the staff had gone above and beyond to help them integrate into the school and understand their benefits.
In fact, it wasn’t until speaking with Ross Bryant, the director of the Military & Veterans Services Center at UNLV, that U.S. Army veteran Franklin La Rosa Diaz realized he was eligible for Chapter 31 benefits.
Other types of funding may be available as well, such as the Fry Scholarship, which is for children and surviving spouses of service members who have died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability.
Unfortunately, at many schools, students who may qualify for these programs aren’t even aware that they exist.
“You have to be your own advocate, basically, to be able to get a lot of these benefits,” shared Teresa Masters, who has been a recipient of the scholarship. “That’s probably the biggest hurdle.”
A good veterans services center will help raise awareness of these offerings.
Building Community
Beyond just helping veterans and dependents receive their benefits, schools that work to engage this population and build community among them can improve their chances of persistence and graduation.
UNLV offers several programs and initiatives to serve this group holistically, including a Rebel Veterans Organization and Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) Team.
PAVE helps incoming student veterans make a smoother transition to academic life by connecting them with veterans already on campus. Whether students need tutoring, counseling, you name it, it’s like a “buddy system that empowers [students] to get where they need to be,” said LeRoy James Hudson III, an Air Force veteran.
Meeting Students Where They Are
An overarching theme that emerged during the podcast was meeting students where they are. Every student is different — some are veterans, some are dependents. Some students may be aware of what benefits they qualify for while a lot are unsure and will require more assistance. Some students may be looking to build community, while others may want a transactional relationship with your office and simply want to ensure they get their benefits and courses certified. It’s the staff’s responsibility to assess where a student is, what they want and need, and help get it.
“It’s customer service,” said Hudson. “It’s a lot of outreaches. You’re going to get a lot of people that don’t reply back. I had a 15-year veteran who didn’t want anything to do with us except for signing that dotted line — send me the check and we’re done. I’ve [also] met children [who basically say] ‘My father just passed. I hate the military. He died because of this and just give me my benefit, and we’re done.'”
He stressed the importance of doing what you can to meet individual needs. You won’t “win over everyone” in terms of building community. Do your best to include them, but remember it’s up to each individual to get involved if they want, Hudson said.
