ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
2016
A Review of Topics Affecting Student Veterans
Student Veterans of America
Analysis of Policy Townhall Program and Conversation
February 2016
2 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
Foreward
Student Veterans of America (SVA) hosted
its eighth annual National Conference
on January 7th - 10th, 2016 at Disney
World, in Orlando, FL. The annual
conference brings together thousands of
student veterans, stakeholders and key
thought leaders. Over the four days of
the conference, participants engaged
in networking opportunities, learned
about leading practices in veterans’
success on campus, and developed
skills to bring back to their campuses.
Since 2008, Student Veterans of America’s
National Conference has been the premier
gathering of service members and
veterans in higher education from across
the country. Facilitating these critical
connections between thought leaders,
stakeholders and veteran advocates,
the conference has proven to be an
unforgettable experience for student
veterans and veteran supporters alike.
In 2016, the National Conference was
about more than supporting student
veterans: it was about supporting
their families and communities, and
preparing them for a future of success.
In the changing landscape of today’s
world, we recognize the need to prepare
student veterans and their networks
with current and timely information
about ongoing discussions in policy.
This year, SVA’s Government Affairs
Department hosted a Policy Townhall at
the conference, giving student veterans
and their families the opportunity to
engage with individuals working on
key national policy initiatives. Five
of these experts engaged with the
Vice President of Government Affairs
using an audience survey to drive
the conversation on a wide variety
of topics. This report synthesizes the
insights and data from that event.
The mission of SVA’s Government Affairs
Department is to shape policy proposals
and regulations on behalf of veterans
in pursuit of career advancement
through higher education. Our team
works closely with Congress and the
federal government to promote
forward-looking policies that will help
veterans get the education they need
to thrive in the modern workforce.
Our work focuses on a myriad of issues,
and we prepare analyses of a wide variety
of proposals concerning matters that
affect veterans in higher education.
As subject matter experts on higher
education and veterans policy, Congress
and senior government officials frequently
call on our team to deliver testimony
regarding topics facing student veterans.
Our primary focus is the success of
student veterans; we achieve a high level
of influence through consistent liaison
with Congress, relevant organizations
and associations, industry, and others
concerned with proposed and pending
policies. We hope you find this report
insightful, and look forward to your
feedback on these important issues.
In the 2016 National Conference Policy
Townhall, we looked at a wide variety
of issues. The panel considered four
categories of issues including, ‘stopping
bad actors’, ‘protecting the GI Bill’, ‘targeted
education investments’, and ‘long-term
change’. These issues represent a broad
set of issues that student veterans face in
higher education, and set the foundation
for policy discussions for the coming year.
As the Post-9/11 GI Bill enters the eight
academic year of its life, predatory
schools and “bad actors” continue to take
advantage of this generous education
benefit. While this group of bad actors
is composed of a small number of
questionable schools, the impact they
have on individual student veterans is
quite significant. Further, if left unchecked,
these schools threaten the long-term
viability of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which
we should measure based on in its return
on investment to the country’s economy.
Today we face issues such as the 90/10
loophole, several flight programs with
grossly high relative costs, and increased
consumer awareness through the VA’s
GI Bill Comparison Tool caution flags.
There are many groups, which strive to
maintain the long-term success of the
Post-9/11 GI Bill, and continue fighting
hard to protect its integrity. Of note, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and
American Legion have frequently been a
partner with SVA in this fight to protect
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 3
the benefit. We addressed several of these
issues including the danger of using the
GI Bill, an education benefit, as a funding
source for non-education pursuits; the
importance of emphasizing the return
on investment to the country’s economy;
the value of research on this unique
population of non-traditional students; and
the role of the State Approving Agencies.
When discussing veteran education
benefits in higher education, it becomes
clear that targeted investments may
present a higher return on investment.
Examples such as the GI Bill STEM Extension
Act of 2015 present thoughtful and
forward-leaning policies for the future
of the GI Bill. In some cases, traditional
liberal arts degrees are not providing
the same opportunity as they once
did, demonstrating the importance of
selecting high-growth and high-demand
degrees. It is clear that the future of higher
education should be adapting to the
new needs of the economy to maintain
sustainable growth for student veterans.
Lastly, the group addressed the role
student veterans have to play in the future
of policy-making related to veterans
and higher education, as well as all
issues facing our country today. Indeed
this generation of veterans is actively
engaging their communities, and the
national conversation on the direction
of policy. One unique group has sought
to address the growing demand for an
increased presence of veterans on Capitol
Hill, and throughout the administration
of our country’s laws; the group, HillVets,
is taking an innovative approach to
addressing this increasing need for more
veterans to have a voice in the process.
We hope you find this report to be
useful at all levels, whether you are a
policy-maker, current or perspective
student veteran, or someone interested
in relevant issues facing this unique
population of non-traditional students
today. In these austere fiscal times,
it is up to all of us to make difficult
and thoughtful decisions with the best
interests of student veterans in mind.
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
Meet the Editors
William Hubbard
Student Veterans of America
William Hubbard is on the professional staff of Student Veterans of America, serving as their Vice
President of Government Affairs. His focus is on legislative action and executive branch policy
across all issues that affect student veterans in higher education. William is frequently called
before congress as a subject matter expert to testify on a variety of issues, and often advises
executive officials in the administration on higher education and veterans policy issues. William
is a graduate of American University, where he studied International Relations. He currently
resides in Arlington, VA with his wife and longhaired dachshund.
Derek Fronabarger
Student Veterans of America
Derek Fronabarger serves on the professional staff of Student Veterans of America as the Director
of Policy. Prior to SVA, Derek worked in the White House on the Joining Forces Initiative in the
Office of the First Lady. Prior to receiving his education, Derek served in the United States Army
as an Air Defense Intelligence Tactical Operator where he served overseas in Germany, Israel,
and Afghanistan. Derek graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Philosophy
and received an M.B.A with a concentration in International Business from the Moore School
of Business at the University of South Carolina.
Stopping Bad Actors
What is a Bad Actor? The short answer is that a Bad Actor is
just the opposite of a reputable school. Employers
respect a reputable school, which will always provide
truthful information. Reputable schools always answer your
questions in a forthcoming, easy to understand manner;
never have you sign an enrollment agreement until you
understand your financial situation, and how the school
obtains income. Give you time to think about whether or
not to enroll and won’t harass you; and let you sit in on a
class, so you can make a decision if the learning
environment suits you.
In contrast, Bad Actors engage in misleading recruiting,
encourage unnecessary borrowing, and provide a poor
quality education. Examples of misleading recruiting include
the use of official looking websites (GIbill.com) to get your
contact information, followed by harassing phone calls and
emails; failure to address your questions about cost even
though they are more expensive than other alternatives;
telling you that your credits will transfer to less expensive
alternatives when they won’t; saying they are accredited
but then it turns out that graduates aren’t eligible for state
license or certification; misleading promises of high job
placement rates and failure to provide the advertised
services to help graduates find jobs.
Bad Actors encourage unnecessary borrowing by urging
you to take out federal student loans that you don’t need
—just in case. They even take out loans in your name
without your understanding or permission. They
encourage you to falsify information on the free
application for federal student aid and offer to take care
of all of the loan paperwork for you—all you have to do
is sign on the dotted line. They mislead you about how
much you are actually borrowing by telling you that
you are receiving grants, not loans. Rather than
encouraging you to maximize your use of federal
student loans, they sign you up for private student loans
that are much more expensive than federal loans and
that start to accrue interest upon origination.
Finally, Bad Actors don’t deliver on their promise
of providing a quality education. In fact, they spend so
much money on recruiting and executive salaries that
little is left over for instruction. Frequently, teachers are
part-time, inexperienced, frequently changing, and
don’t show up for class. You will notice that you work
hard but everyone
4 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 5
passes, even those who don’t come to class or complete
assignments. Labs and classes are often poorly equipped
with outdated equipment.
reached in the past several years, VA caution flags do not
but should include settlements with state Attorneys General
over misleading and deceptive recruiting and advertising.
The good news is that only 11 percent of the veteran
students who attended the Town Hall had started out at
a Bad Actor, switching to a public or non-profit school
because of their subpar experience. [1]
If you enrolled in a Bad Actor, what steps can you take to
protect yourself and your GI Bill benefits? First, speak up and
let others know about the problems you encountered. You
can file a complaint online with VA and Veterans Education
Success can offer you free help in filing the complaint or
in trying to rebut a school’s response to your complaint.
Veterans Education Success is a non-profit committed to
protecting the integrity and promise of the GI Bill. [3] You
can also lodge a complaint with state approving agency
for the state where your school is located. State Approving
Agencies authorize programs of study for participation
in the GI Bill and inspect schools periodically to ensure
that they continue to meet statutory and regulatory
requirements. Finally, you should contact your U.S. Senators
and Representatives.
Most Town Hall attendees said that they were familiar with
or had used the GI Bill College Comparison Tool. The goal
of the Comparison Tool is to provide relevant, fact-based,
and unbiased data to help veterans make informed
choices when using their GI Bill benefits. Just because a
school is eligible to participate in the GI Bill doesn’t mean
it’s a good choice.
Bad Actors participate in the GI Bill and federal student
aid because of the failure of government to hold them
accountable for their predatory and fraudulent behavior.
As a result, inclusion of a school on the Comparison Tool
is not an endorsement. It’s each veterans responsibility to
carefully review the information generated by a ‘search’
because it contains insights about how likely veterans are
to succeed at a particular school and about the outcomes
of other students who attended that school.
Here are some Comparison Tool data points that should
that should raise a red flag: (1) too many students drop
out after their freshman year, (2) graduation rates are
low, (3) most students end up with student loans, (4)
post-graduation salaries aren’t consistent with what recruiters
tell prospective veteran students, (5) too many students
are unable to repay their federal student loans, and (6)
lots of veterans have filed complaints about the school.
If much of this data is missing, that should also raise a red
flag. In response to a live poll question, 43 percent of the
89 participants chose graduation rates as the Comparison
Tool’s most valuable indicator of veteran student success.
[2] Persistence (continuous enrollment) was a distant runner
up at about 13 percent.
Second, document your problems. You should collect
any relevant documents that help support your complaint
because if it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen. Third, cut
your losses early—the sooner you stop attending a Bad
Actor, the less you stand to lose. It may be difficult to admit
you made a mistake but if you waste your hard-earned
benefits at a Bad Actor school, they are gone forever.
Consider transferring to a community college or state
public school, even if your credits don’t transfer; and be
sure to ask about credit for military training. Finally, many
public and non-profit schools now offer online programs,
so there are high quality online alternatives to the programs
offered by Bad Actors.
Recently VA began adding a new type of red flag, which
it refers to as a caution flag. VA describes caution flags as
indicators veteran students should pay attention to and
consider before enrolling in a program of education. A
caution flag means VA or other federal agencies like the
Department of Education or Department of Defense have
applied increased regulatory or legal scrutiny to a program
of education. Currently, caution flags cover (1) settlements
with the U.S. Government (2) financial responsibility concerns
(3) accreditation issues, and (4) school probation for DOD’s
Tuition Assistance program.
Even though over a dozen such settlements have been
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
Protecting the GI Bill
While in the military, service members learn that accurate and
actionable intelligence is key to the success of any operation.
On Capitol Hill, policy-makers similarly rely on quality information to make responsible decisions. This is why bad data and
incomplete data are so harmful when it comes to decisionmaking on veterans in higher education.
In 2012, a University of Colorado report indicated that 88
percent of student veterans would drop out of college after
their first semester and only three percent would graduate. [4]
Much like the “22 a day” statistic on veterans’ suicide, some tried
to rally around this number as a call-to-action for colleges to
better serve student veterans. However, others used the data
to serve their interests in either overhauling the program or
scrapping the program altogether.
Real-time numbers on veteran graduation are still not readily
available, but Student Veterans of America was the first organization to take a data-driven look at how veterans fare in higher
education. Based on SVA’s longitudinal analysis of student
veterans from 2001 to 2011, SVA determined that veterans
were more likely to earn their degree than to drop out – the
path just looked a little different than what was traditionally
tracked by the higher education community. [5]
Through projects like SVA’s Million Records Project, the veterans’
community can identify persistent gaps in serving the unique
needs of the veterans’ community and advocate for positive
change. For example, by understanding the challenges facing
student veterans, advocates can push for additional benefits for
science and technology programs, or encourage legislators to
reauthorize grants to support student veteran resource centers.
Demonstrating return on investment for the Post-9/11 GI Bill
is critical to the program’s future viability. This is why Student
Veterans of America is continuing its work of the Million
Records Project (MRP) through its partnership with the VA on
the National Veterans Education Success Tracker (NVEST). It is
also why VA has taken a hard look at its own data sets to build
veteran-specific performance metrics.
Moreover, building safeguards against fraud, waste, and
abuse are also paramount in preserving the program. When
the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee
raised concerns over bad actors preying on student veterans,
groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion,
and SVA worked to commission quality consumer protection resources like the GI Bill Comparison Tool and the GI Bill
Complaint System. [6]
6 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
However, these are just the first steps in ensuring the future
viability of the benefit. In the past, veterans’ advocates have
had to aggressively fight against cuts to Post-9/11 GI Bill living
stipends, and recently the House voted to scale back the living
stipends for dependent children.
“Bad data either leads to bad
solutions to a problem or
bad ideas on how to change
programs.”
Bad data either leads to bad solutions to a problem or bad
ideas on how to change programs. In the years since the 88
percent dropout rate was published, special interests have
sought to reprogram veterans’ education benefits for anything
from non-profit community service projects to small business
start-up grants. [12]
On their own, each of these could be seen as noble functions
that can help veterans successfully transition. However, neither
is a legitimate substitute for formal education and training.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks employment
and income trends based on educational attainment, and
according to BLS, higher education directly correlates to higher
earning potential and lower unemployment rates. To veterans’
advocates, this means that earning a college degree qualifies
a veteran for more opportunities in the workforce – skills that
stay with veterans for life.
Proponents of these bad ideas often postulate that veterans
will receive a “real world” education by diverting their GI Bill
dollars elsewhere. However, the purpose of the GI Bill was to
provide veterans with access to quantifiable skills recognized
by employers in the form of academic degrees or professional
licenses and certifications.
Thankfully, veterans continue to be organized advocates on
their campuses and in their communities. This is why VFW,
American Legion, and SVA were able to champion the recent
in-state tuition protection for recently transitioned veterans.
As the veterans’ community identifies persistent challenges,
veterans’ groups have resources like the VFW Action Corps
or the VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship, which can encourage
veterans to affect positive change.
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 7
Targeting Education Investments
The pursuit of a college education is an endeavor that requires
a significant amount of time, resources, and sacrifice. One way
an individual can best capitalize on his/her higher education
is to take time prior to submitting admissions applications to
ask specific questions that will help choose a degree path that
leads to the highest return on investment. This holds true for
military veterans and other military-connected individuals (i.e.,
active duty, reserve, and National Guard members).
In order to make the most of the time, effort, and resources
placed towards attaining a degree, military-connected individuals
need to do the necessary preparation prior to enrollment,
including identifying long-term career and employment goals
that lead to a viable field of work with significant opportunity
for professional growth and financial sustainability. While
there are a number of labor market opportunities with this
type of potential, the science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) field is one that oftentimes is overlooked, yet, is
one that holds great promise for upward social mobility and
increased lifelong earnings.
Over the years, science and technology have experienced
significant growth and advancement. With this continued
development come an increased number of career opportunities
for those within a STEM field. Between 2010 and 2020, for
example, the U.S. Department of Education projects a 16 to 63
percent increases in STEM jobs and only a 14 percent increase
in other occupations. [7] Despite the increasing demand for
professionals within the STEM field, there is a significant gap
in the number of individuals trained and equipped to fulfill
those needs. Based on these recent statistics, it appears that
the gap between STEM workforce needs and the available pool
is far from being closed.
The U.S. Department of Education reports that approximately
14 percent of all students enrolled in higher education are
pursuing a degree within the STEM field. [8] Remarkably,
anecdotal evidence suggests that about the same percentage of
military-connected students are majoring in STEM. For example,
during the Student Veterans’ of America’s (SVA) Policy Town
hall meeting held at the 2016 annual conference, roughly 14
percent of polled respondents were enrolled as a STEM major.
Similarly, in a recent report published by the American Council
on Education (ACE) and NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators
in Higher Education, the average share of military-connected
students enrolled in a STEM field was 15 percent. [10]
Despite the modest proportion of military-connected students
pursuing STEM majors, veterans and other military-connected
individuals are well positioned to meet the growing STEM
industry needs in the 21st century.
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
In addition to often being dedicated, hard workers who
find a way to get any job done, veterans are competitive in
the STEM field based on the significant experience many
have gained through their military service. This experience
and training, in conjunction with a college education, can
open many opportunities for veterans to meet the needs
of the nation’s workforce. Unfortunately, despite available
opportunities, many service members and veterans are not
pursuing a higher education in STEM related fields of study
and workforce occupations. For reasons not yet empirically
identified, it seems that for many of our nation’s veterans there
is a lack of interest and for others perceived barriers that keep
them from pursuing a higher education and career in STEM.
For student veterans, a central barrier to entering STEM
fields of study rests on the number of prerequisites required
before starting a college program. These prerequisites could
increase time-to-completion and, as a result, inadvertently
prohibit military-connected students from considering
a STEM major. While this is something to consider, many
institutions of higher learning have worked to create degree
paths specific for service members and veterans seeking to
pursue a STEM degree.
Many colleges and universities use ACE credit recommendations
and their students’ JST transcripts to meet specific degree
or major requirements. Not only do a significant number of
institutions accept and apply these credits towards degree
programs, they have also created pathways, based on ACE credit
recommendations and the experience of specific career fields,
to decrease time to completion. Lansing Community College,
for example, created the Military Medic to Paramedic Program,
which uses ACE credit recommendations and experience from
both the Army and Navy military medic occupations to cut
degree time-to-completion from 18 to 9 months. Lansing
Community College has also created articulation agreements
with other institutions to help graduates of their program
seamlessly transfer to a four-year institution, where they can
pursue advanced degrees to become a Physician’s Assistant
or a Registered Nurse.
Another barrier that may prohibit service members or
veterans from pursuing degrees in the STEM field is their
academic self-concept. Academic self-concept is a unifying
measure developed by researchers to better understand a
student’s perceived academic abilities and confidence in
college compared to the average student their age. [11]
During the SVA Policy Town hall, participants were asked how
many felt intimidated or afraid of math and science courses.
Interestingly, a significant number of participants raised their
hands, meaning that for many military-connected students
STEM coursework can seem overwhelming and intimidating.
For military-connected individuals who have gaps between
high school and college attendance, or who might not have
done well academically in high school, pursuing a college
education in STEM may seem out of reach.
If these comments hold truth, military-connected students
should consider ways to bring those thought barriers down
and should be encouraged to pursue a higher education in
STEM. Recent research, such as SVA’s Million Records Project,
indicates military-connected students are doing just as well, if
not better, than their civilian peers in college. [11] Sometimes
all that is necessary is academic preparation and additional
campus support. Moreover, programs such as Warrior Scholar
Project and Veterans Upward Bound provide free to low-cost
tutoring for military-connected individuals who need extra
support preparing to enter postsecondary education. Taking
advantage of these resources may help them gain confidence
in their academic abilities and prepare them for the rigors of
a STEM curriculum.
As the gap between the available jobs in STEM and those
that have the qualifications to do the work continues to grow,
service members and veterans should be given increased
opportunities and support to close this gap. With their military
experiences and the right education, these individuals have
the skillsets necessary to help the STEM industry continue
to thrive. In addition, while the thought of pursuing a STEM
degree might be daunting, with the right amount of advice,
opportunity, and resources, military-connected students
are ideally situated to contribute greatly to STEM-related
efforts across the nation and can simultaneously enhance
their economic vitality.
Learn more about SVA Spotlight Research on
the demographics and academic experiences of
student veterans.
8 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 9
Making Strategic Change
Improving national policy is as daunting a task as it is an
admirable goal. As Congress continues to face near record
low approval ratings and the widespread perception that they
are “out of touch” with the American people, changing policy
for the better has become more difficult than ever. In light of
the current political climate, the challenge for the veterans
policy community is figuring out a long-term strategy to
preserve the Post-9/11 GI Bill and to advance our other policy
needs. That strategy is this: we need veterans to serve again.
For any proposed policy to become law, we need more veterans
to serve in key government roles and to pursue, and attain,
elected office. Today, less than 20% of members of Congress
are veterans themselves. Among Congressional staffers, those
who write legislation and do most of the behind the scenes
work of making a bill into law, less than 3% have served in
the military. In addition, that’s exactly the problem HillVets
is focused on solving. By easing the transition from student
veteran to public servant through networking, employment,
and educational opportunities, HillVets is working to rebuild
the military brain trust in government and politics while
helping the next generation of veteran leaders excel.
“Today, less than 20% of members of
Congress are veterans themselves.”
Our mission to transform the power and presence of veterans
in government, policy, and politics is based on the knowledge
that veterans overwhelmingly want to serve again in some
capacity, as this recent Civic Enterprises shows us. In fact, an
impressive 40% of SVA Policy Town Hall respondents indicated
that yes, they plan to run for office someday. However, they
didn’t necessarily know where to start.
With that in mind, the following is a brief guide to starting
a political career. If you want to run for office someday,
here are six steps you can take today to get started on the
electoral track:
All politics is local, so get involved in your hometown, county,
district, and/or state. However “home” is difficult for some
veterans — after serving, going to school, and starting your
professional career, there might not be one place you call
home — it is best to know where you want to run and get
involved there.
There are all kinds of local organizations you could become
active in to help build a political network, including the local
political party and its subgroups, local commissions, boards,
clubs, school associations, and so on. Getting involved locally
introduces your brand to the political movers and shakers
you’ll need on your side when you run for office.
If you are more focused on the national scene and/or pursuing
the staff track, try our HillVets House Congressional Fellowship
program. You’ll learn firsthand how the national policy process
works and begin building a network in the halls of Congress.
This experience will be invaluable should you ultimately make
the decision to run for office one day.
Whether as a staffer, intern, or volunteer, campaigns are a great
place to start. You’ll learn what to do and what not to do when
you run for office. Key lessons about field, fundraising, campaign
finance, outreach, and communications are all right there
for the taking. All campaigns need help. Be the dependable,
reliable person in the office — which should be SOP for most
vets — and you’ll get more and more opportunities to learn
and contribute. You will also meet like-minded people; the
people most likely to get involved on future campaigns are
those who’ve done it before.
“You can learn a lot on a
campaign whether you win or
lose.”
You can learn a lot on a campaign whether you win or lose.
To have a productive experience, it doesn’t really matter if
the campaign ultimately wins or loses — though winning is
of course more fun. Find a candidate or cause you believe
in and get to work!
Networking really is everything. Getting involved locally
and joining a campaign will do a lot towards building your
political network, but the truth is you’ll need more than a
political network.
Since you will need to fundraise seriously to be a serious
candidate, it’s important to start building a financial network.
Meet with and get to know everybody you can, especially
local business owners and executives. The owners of local
small businesses can make for powerful allies financially and
politically; they have money, loyal customers, friends, colleagues
and space to host events. You can lay the foundation for future
campaigns by building out your base of support before you
ever declare candidacy.
Do whatever you need to do to learn the specifics of what it
takes to be a candidate. There’s a number of good books and
articles about running for office, including some specifically
for veteran candidates; and there’s classes and trainings you
can take. Universities, political parties, and some veterans
organizations, like Veterans Campaign, offer candidate trainings.
Check out HillVets’ articles on our experiences and lessons
from running for office, including “How to Lose an Election
in Less than 90 Days!”
Veterans are determined, focused, collaborative, and leaders.
But they’re often not seen as diverse in their experience. Voters
often want to see well-rounded people, and it’s important
to show that you’re not only a veteran, as silly as that may
sound. Having a mix of professional, volunteer, and political
experience will really help round out the story you can tell
voters about yourself.
“Voters often want to see
well-rounded people, and it’s
important to show that you’re not
only a veteran, as silly as that may
sound.”
Fortunately, ‘entry-level’ political office is a part time job in
most states. Though it is not necessarily easy to do, you will
have to find a balance between your professional career and
your new job as an elected official. Campaigning, however, is
an entirely different beast. When that time comes, be ready to
take serious time off work (if not full-time leave), if you want
to be successful.
For a veteran, this is the probably the most difficult task of any
on this list. Servicemembers learn to follow and to lead, often
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
doing so without thanks or taking credit. As a candidate for
office, you need to persuade voters and donors that you’re
worth their support. You have to sell yourself.
To be a successful and convincing candidate, you’ll have to
learn how to brag about yourself. It might feel dirty or wrong
at first, but in campaigning, it’s simply part of the process. Find
a balance of clearly articulating your accomplishments and
your vision without making yourself (or others) squeamish. As
a candidate, you may be able to enlist some surrogates — your
spouse, close friends, colleagues, supporters, and campaign
manager — to speak on your behalf, but you have to be your
own top salesperson. So, go forward. Get started today. You’re
on your way to future success, and when the time comes, run
hard and run clean.
10 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 11
Conclusion
For almost 70 years, State Approving Agencies and their
national organization, the National Association of State
Approving Agencies, have been at the forefront of protecting
the GI Bill, by making sure that veterans have access to
quality educational and training programs. Established by
Congress as state agencies, funded by a federal contract
administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs, these
unique government agencies protect veterans by making
sure that approved programs comply with basic federal and
state requirements for quality programing, equitable and
efficient administration, and provide some measure of promise
for meaningful employment. As all participants in the SVA
Town Hall pointed out in different ways, continuing to keep
this promise to veterans in an era of restrained government
funding coupled with desire of some bad actors to profit from
two extremely worthy sentiments, the gratitude of a nation
and the desire of veterans to better themselves, created
challenges for SAAs and VSOs in their continuing struggle
to protect our veterans.
The actions of Bad Actors in the education arena must be
curtailed at every opportunity. All panel members agree
that a powerful weapon in this struggle is education itself,
providing to veteran students adequate and accurate
information so they can make informed decisions about
the best schools to help them meet their educational and
training goals (VA Comparison Tool) and an opportunity to
report incidents of misbehavior to appropriate authorities
(VA Complaint System). These newly designed protections,
designed by the VA with input from NASAA and VSOs have
gone far to improve matters but more needs to be done.
And all institutions, public, nonprofit private and for profit
institutions must be held to the same high standard. And
rapid and firm action taken by VA and SAAs against those
that knowingly fail to meet that standard.
Contributing Experts
access or the available horizon to veteran’s educational
possibilities. At the same time we must not lose sight of the
important historical focus of the GI Bill which is provide quality
education and training that results in jobs. Recent moves to
allow veterans to use their GI Bill dollars for business startup
grants and unaccredited on line certificate training could
result in harming the integrity and sustainability of the GI Bill.
Likewise when we consider long term changes, and programs
such as VA’s Vet Success on Campus, we must be mindful that
these programs mainly serve large populations of veterans
found on large universities or colleges. Maybe it is time to seek
ways to serve veterans on a broader scope, such as increasing
the certification fees paid to approved institutions by VA and
mandating that these fees only be used to provide services
for veterans, such as better equipping resource centers or
providing training for school officials on campus serving
veteran populations.
The strong interest displayed by the standing room only
audience at the SVA Town Hall presentation bode well for
the continued growth and viability of the GI Bill. As more
veterans become educated about and involved in education
policy and legislation, all panel participants agreed that the
future return on the GI Bill educational investment will provide
a better tomorrow for all of us.
In the area of protecting the GI Bill, this year NASAA is working
with its VA and VSO partners to determine how approval
requirements can be enhanced and improved. Examples
include requiring approved institutions to state clearly and
up front in their published materials their accreditation or lack
thereof. And SAA’s and the VA should continue to broaden
their oversight of recruiting and enrollment policies and
procedures.
As we consider targeted educational investments such as
increasing benefits for STEM degrees, we should consider the
impact of such policies on other fields. Even as we properly
expand access to needed training, we must not decrease
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
Tanya Ang
American Council on Education
Tanya Ang is the Director of Veterans’ Programs at the American Council on Education where
she oversees ACE veterans initiatives such as the Toolkit for Veteran Friendly Institutions. She
also works collaboratively with institutions of higher education and other organizations to
promote best practices in serving military-connected students to aid in a smooth transition
from military service to the civilian workforce. Tanya also serves on the Veterans’ Advisory
Committee on Education.
Alexander Davis
HillVets
Alexander Davis is a political management professional currently serving as HillVets’ Executive
Director of Development. At HillVets, he works closely with the Board of Directors to implement
broad development strategies. He has worked as the campaign manager for primary campaigns
in Virginia and Maryland, and as a political director on the Washington, D.C. mayoral election
in 2014. As a political consultant, he has worked on strategy and messaging for campaigns
across the mid-Atlantic region.
Ryan Gallucci
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Ryan Gallucci is the deputy director of the National Veterans Service directorate of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the U.S., where his responsibilities include ensuring veterans can access their
earned benefits, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Ryan was previously the VFW’s deputy legislative
director, where he worked with Congress to pass education reforms like in-state tuition for
veterans, the GI Bill Comparison Tool, and the GI Bill Complaint System.
Walter Ochinko
Veterans Education Success
Walter Ochinko joined Veterans Education Success (VES) in January 2015, bringing over 40
years of experience conducting investigations and producing high quality reports for federal
policymakers at the Government Accountability Office. Before joining VES in 2015, Ochinko
worked for the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where he
focused on veterans’ education issues.
Joe Wescott
State Approving Agencies
Joe Wescott was appointed Legislative Director of the National Association of State Approving
Agencies in August 2015. Previous to that, he served four years as NASAA President and Vice
President, while simultaneously working on the NASAA Legislative Committee. Joe is also the
Executive Director of the North Carolina State Approving Agency (NCSAA) and in that role
oversees over 280 institutions of higher education throughout North Carolina ensuring quality
educational programming for veterans and their eligible dependents.
12 | STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
I S S U E S I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N | 1 3
Cited Sources
[1] U.S. Department of Education. 2015. Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math: Education for Global
Leadership. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.
ed.gov/stem.
[2] Chen, Xianglei and Thomas Weko. 2009. Students
Who Study Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) in Postsecondary Education.
Washington D.C: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved
from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2002012.pdf.
[3] Molina, Dani and Andrew Morse. 2015. MilitaryConnected Undergraduates: Exploring Differences
Between National Guard, Reserve, Active Duty, and
Veterans in Higher Education. Washington, DC: American
Council on Education and NASPA-Student Affairs
Administrators in Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/MilitaryConnected-Students-Report.aspx.
[4] Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) and
the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA.
2011. CIRP Construct Technical Report 2011 Appendix
Construct Parameters. Los Angeles, CA: University of
California, Los Angeles. Retrieved from http://www.heri.
ucla.edu/PDFs/constructs/Appendix2011.pdf.
[6] The live poll did not capture the proportion of student
veterans who believed graduation rates were the most
important indicator.
[7] http://veteranseducationsuccess.org/
[8] Cate, Chris Andrew. 2014. Million Records Project:
Research from Student Veterans of America. Washington,
DC: Student Veterans of America. Retrieved from http://
studentveterans.org/images/Reingold_Materials/mrp/
download-materials/mrp_Full_report.pdf.
[9] Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. 2014 VFW
Applauds New GI Bill Comparison Tool. Washington, D.C.
Retrieved from https://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/
Articles/2014-Articles/VFW-APPLAUDS-NEW-GI-BILLCOMPARISON-TOOL/
[10] Congressional Budget Office. 2015. S. 1870, Veterans
Entrepreneurial Transition Act of 2015
[11] Retrieved from https://www.cbo.gov/
publication/50827
[5] Cate, Chris Andrew. 2014. Million Records Project:
Research from Student Veterans of America. Washington,
DC: Student Veterans of America. Retrieved from http://
studentveterans.org/images/Reingold_Materials/mrp/
download-materials/mrp_Full_report.pdf.
Of the 89 the Town Hall participants, only 37 indicated
that they were veteran students.
Y E S T E R D AY ’ S WA R R I O R S | T O D AY ’ S S C H O L A R S | T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A D E R S
1012 14th Street NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20005