1. The Veteran Student’s Re-Entry Experience and Financial Aid’s Role
Presenters
Rachel Cavenaugh, Director of Financial Aid and Veteran services
Michael O’Grady, Client Services Outreach, Financial Aid Services, Atlanta, GA
Spring Conference April , 2017

2. Veterans’ Re-entry Experience and Financial Aid’s Role
Billy Ray Davis, Associate Director of Communications/Enrollment Support, Northern Virginia Community College
Matisa Schraven, Senior Federal Compliance Analyst, MOHELA
Spring Conference April , 2017

3. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017

4. Veteran Persistence/Retention
Accountability - Accountability - Accountability
Discretionary budget has a bull’s eye on it
Huge waste of tax payers’ money when students don’t graduate
“Stop outs” are less likely to pay their student loans
Higher Education Act reauthorization proposals
Spring Conference April , 2017

5. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017
Trends
By % of all jobs will require postsecondary education
In 1993 the average student loan debt load (in today’s dollars) was $14,500
In 2012 the average debt was $29,400
In 1999 the national default rate was 5.6%
In 2010 the national default rate was 9.1%
In 2014 the national default rate was 13.7%
Spring Conference April , 2017

6. Challenges to the Combat to Class Transition
Less than 1 percent of U.S population has served— women and minorities are the increasing percentage of the veteran demographic
25% of homeless have served—Impact on professional judgment and FASFAA completion
Suicide rate for veterans is above the national average
Spring Conference April , 2017

7. Combat to Class- Big Picture-CA Study
67% of student veterans reported that parents had no degree
75 % ( of that same population) are first generation baccalaureate students
The probability of a student persisting was greater if registration for classes was “easy or very easy.”
Source: “How Military Service may Affect Student Veteran Persistence” P.C. O’Rourke, California State University
Spring Conference April , 2017

8. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017
Combat to Class
“You go from a (military) bureaucracy that tells you everything to do to a (higher education) bureaucracy that doesn’t tell you anything to do.”
University of Arizona Assistant Dean for Veteran Educational and Transitional Services
Spring Conference April , 2017

9. Occupations of Veterans by Gender: 2013
Spring Conference April , 2017

10. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017
Retention Funnel
Recruiting students that don’t matriculate is extremely expensive and is a “lose lose” proposition.
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Graduated
Admitted
Spring Conference April , 2017

11. Real Reasons Students Leave Higher Education
Spring Conference April , 2017

12. Model of Communication
Sender Encoder Decoder Receiver
Spring Conference April , 2017

13. Other Barriers and Opportunities
Different quality of transition assistance programs (TAPS)
Effectiveness of the Family Service Center
Challenges of decentralized campuses
Campus Departmental “silos”
Spring Conference April , 2017

14. A new Hat for Financial Aid Veteran’s Advocate
Early registration
Integrate financial aid with the veteran’s lounge
FASFAA outreach specific for veterans
Hire veterans and build a FCWS pipeline of veteran student workers.
Maximize Pell
Other?
Spring Conference April , 2017

15. Triangulation on Campus
Business Office
Financial Aid Office
Veteran’s Office and Veteran’s Lounge
Spring Conference April , 2017

16. Veteran’s Center at Cape Fear Community College
Spring Conference April , 2017

17. Engagement and other Factors
Advisor Interaction: Student that met with their advisor in their first year were 30% more
Likely to graduate
School Clubs: Those students participating in school clubs were 39% more likely to graduate
Work Hours: Those students working more than 20 hours a week were 19% more likely no
To obtain a degree than those not working
Full-time Enrollment: Student attending full-time are 2 times more likely to graduate
Stop Outs: Students that stop out are 60% less likely to graduate
4 Year Institution: Students entering a four year institution are 63% more likely to
obtain a degree
Spring Conference April , 2017

18. Confronting Retention Challenges
College Liaison Program
Intrusive Advising
Major Maps
It’s all about the family
One-Stop Enrollment Services
Coordinated Communication Plan/Website
Targeting Institutional Aid Dollars
Spring Conference April , 2017

19. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017

20. Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Injury (PTSD/I)
Re-entry issues for veterans often result in alcohol abuse, drug abuse, family or marital problems or suicide. Symptoms of PTSD may include anger and irritability, “spacey stare,” short attention span, confusion, trouble sleeping, and “self-medicating”. What is your SAP policy regarding PTSD?
Spring Conference April , 2017

21. Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Injury (PTSD/I) continued…
One in five veterans will experience re-entry issues or possibly PTSD/I
Approximately 200,000 women served in Afghanistan and Iraq
23% to 33% of women veterans report experiencing “MST” of which 42% will acquire PTSD
Spring Conference April , 2017

22. Spring Conference April 9 - 12, 2017
Conclusion
Communication is key
Consider the customer
Focus on centralization
Spring Conference April , 2017

23. NCASFAA would like to thank our Professional Affiliates!
Spring Conference April , 2017