From Soldier to Student II: Assessing Campus Programs for Veterans and Service Members

Jul 01, 2012

American Association of State Colleges and Universities; American Council on Education; NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education; National Association of Veteran's Program Administrators (NAVPA);

The United States is in the process of bringing more than 2 million service members home from Iraq and Afghanistan and reducing the size of America's military. Today's veterans are the beneficiaries of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which has provided unprecedented financial support for attending college. More than 500,000 veterans and their families have utilized Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits since the law's enactment in 2008. Many returning veterans -- as well as service members in the active and reserve components of the armed forces -- will enroll in higher education to enhance their job prospects, achieve career goals, expand their knowledge and skill sets for both personal and career enrichment, and facilitate their transition to civilian life.How well prepared is higher education to serve these new students, and what changes has it made in response to the first wave of Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients on campus? Despite the long history of veterans' education benefits and presence of veteran students on campus, current research is still catching up to the veteran and military student population. This report represents the second assessment of the current state of programs and services for veterans and service members on campuses across the nation, based on survey results from 690 institutions.