How Can We Better Serve Students Using GI Bill® Benefits at Arizona State University?

Col Jeff Guimarin — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:50:17 -0400

As the Director of the Pat Tillman Veterans Center at Arizona State University, I believe our team has some idea of what is needed to support our student veterans while they attend school here using GI Bill® benefits. After all, we’re primarily staffed by veterans, many of which attended school here at ASU. They’ve been there and done that, with a lot of experience to bring to our efforts aimed at creating a culture of success for students. Yet, even with a team of professionals dedicated to knowing VA related policies and processes, as well as having strong veteran oriented support structures, we still face challenges with retention. Specifically, first year student veteran retention rates here at ASU trail behind typical college age students by 8%. In addition, transfers coming in from community colleges and other universities also lag behind the general student population by 3 to 6%. This is often a surprise to faculty and staff across the university, as they have a built-in expectation that student veterans, with their experience and discipline gained through military service, are well situated to pursue their degree successfully all the way through to graduation. So, how can we outpace the retention curve?

To answer that question, we’ve asked our student veteran population for feedback. It is no surprise that financial shortfalls are number one, as many struggle making ends meet even with the GI Bill® benefits they receive, to include tuition, book fees and military housing allowance. While there are a variety of other forms of financial augmentation (e.g. scholarships, grants, and loans) in some cases, even that isn’t enough. Is there more we can do here, from a veterans center perspective, to help those who just can’t stretch the financial support far enough?

Another factor identified, especially for first year students, is the uncertainty brought on by the newness of the college experience. This is a recurring theme here at ASU because of the size of our institution, which covers four unique campuses and a number of extension sites. While there are a variety of veteran focused student clubs, orientation sessions, dedicated support staff, counseling services, activities, events and more, some student veterans still feel disconnected and floating on their own. No doubt, one aspect is the difference in age between the typical college student (18-22 years old) compared to our student veteran population which averages at over 30 years old. How can we better help them bridge the gap here, as they move into a new experience that offers a lot of unknowns.

While I wish I had all the support structures and resources under the Pat Tillman Veterans Center roof, the reality is we need to depend on a federated approach across the campuses and take advantage of everything that is in place for the general student population. In addition, we will continue to refine the specific services we offer within the center for our student veterans, tailored to meet their needs and circumstances as often as possible. While we have a lot of the bases covered, I’m still open to ideas on what more we can do to better serve our student veterans using the GI Bill® at ASU and help them find success while pursuing their degree and beyond.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2021 3:05 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:05:28 -0400

I didn't use GI Bill, but I used Tuition Assistance and first thing is that TA barely made a dent in the cost of my Master's degree at ASU. It covered MAYBE 25% of the total. There are other Master's programs around the country that are 100% covered by TA - AMU and Post Universities for example. I'm not saying to make it completely covered, but the difference was insane and almost every single course had some hidden fee like "technology fee" (its the 21st century and we have "technology fees? come on!) or "administration fee", it reminded me very much of why I left Verizon. I even had to pay for a student ID card that I never used because I wasn't at campus and using distance learning. I had to take out just shy of $20k in loans for my degree.

Second, ASU didn't have the agreement with GoArmyEd so instead of being able to register for classes normally, I had to put together the cost estimate forms for every single class and send them up to be approved by my local Education Center. This was extremely difficult and caused delays in being able to register for classes, reordering when I would take certain courses, and outright changing which courses I would take because the time would force me to wait, and courses would fill up. My Bachelor's at Western Carolina had the agreement so I could just register for courses through GoArmyEd, quick and simple.

As for support through the coursework, it was fantastic. I had a surprise deployment and my professors were more than helpful in working with the schedule and allowing me to finish my work either ahead of time or with an extension. Aside from that one public finance course (ugh never again!) every class was enjoyable and interesting (even statistics...somehow)!

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Apr 28 at 2021 3:06 PM

LTC Eugene Chu — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:06:19 -0400

I’ve visited ASU and appreciate how the late Pat Tillman’s legacy continues. I have some suggestions that I will email you privately about. Best wishes in helping student veterans...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 28 at 2021 6:47 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:47:12 -0400

First I want to say Pat Tillman was an incredible person first. Obviously he was gifted athletically, but not many know he was a scholar who had a strong set of values. He was a remarkable man.

I am curious what kind of questions are on your survey for veterans? What do they have to accomplish to go to college?
- Work?
- Take care of family?
- Attend classses and study.
- Have an academic objective.
- Pay bills.
- Invest in academics for a few years.
- Essentially key tasks that must be accomplished to attend college.

I would be curious the % and numbers of veterans going into community colleges, trade schools, and 4 year institutions. Could it be a good chunk of veterans decide that attending college does not suit them? Not everyone is cut out for college for various reasons. I would like to see the % comparison of veterans choosing 4 year institutions to the general public. Trade schools and community colleges can also compete for veterans to attend. I would love to see those metrics to include a survey on what what it entails to go to college.

Perhaps you office can provide academic and life mentoring to the veterans. Perhaps you folks can think of the problem in an OPORD format. Paint the picture. List the key tasks. Who provides service and support.

I am going to make the strong assumption that some of the veterans are worn out mentally and emotionally. Maybe that is an area you folks can delve into.

Does their ideology or ideas about 4 year colleges support the cause. The cause is to go to 4 year colleges. Is there a breakdown in that process?

Response by SSgt Joe Warhol made Apr 28 at 2021 11:57 PM

SSgt Joe Warhol — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 23:57:50 -0400

A few points to be made.

There has been a very large socio-cultural shift in the military and its veterans in the last decade. The military, its resources, and education space unfortunately has not kept up with this change. The warrior brotherhood culture, especially among junior enlisted service members, is not the same that it used to among a majority of the post-9/11 veterans. I noticed this shift first hand going back to the fleet as a SNCO in 2016, being discharged in 2018, working in the military non-profit space, and now in my own role speaking with upwards of 20-30 service members/veterans every single day.

The education space is saturated with options, any given degree program isn't as valuable as it was, especially among veterans, a decade ago. Especially with all the school degree options, dare I call them diploma mills, out there marketed toward military personnel.

This is an issue that needs to be met head on with a grass roots and more of an sincere organic pull from the service member effort.

I truly believe there is room for leaps and bounds efforts that can be made in this space but the pandering to and leveraging of the service member themselves is something that is obvious. The service members and veterans see straight through it.

It is no wonder why current commanders and resource organizations like the Marine Corps' MCCS are weary of who they work with and put in front of their personnel on their installations.

We need to do a better job at educating service members of the opportunities and legitimate resources they have at their fingertips. The Post-9/11 GI Bill and a run of the mill degree program isn't enough anymore. We need to stop selling it that it is.

Response by SPC Darren Lopez made Apr 29 at 2021 12:26 PM

SPC Darren Lopez — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:26:07 -0400

https://www.rallypoint.com/units/veterans-affairs-va-department-of-veterans-affairs-va-washington-dc-SalmanillaDaggerF1:1011***1!$!"USD'-AG-/-+@@€€UROS.00._USD******;.

RallyPoint

Response by WO1 Dave Middleton made Jul 31 at 2021 9:05 PM

WO1 Dave Middleton — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 21:05:10 -0400

I went to ASU, under the VA Voc Rehab program and graduated in 77. It was a very well receiv3d and supported as a Vietnam Vet.