These days, many colleges advertise themselves as “veteran friendly.” But what distinguishes a campus that’s just sorta friendly from one that’s downright supportive?
On Wednesday, the National Association for College Admission Counseling gathered a few experts to help answer that question during a one-hour Webinar on the needs of veterans, a fast-growing segment of the student population. Jack Fanous, executive director of the G.I. Go Fund, a New Jersey-based nonprofit group that assists veterans, said colleges must have someone who’s knowledgeable about the G.I. Bill and military benefits—but also about potential resources for challenges that those benefits might not cover.
It’s a common misperception, Mr. Fanous said, that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs handles every problem a veteran might encounter. So college officials should also familiarize themselves with how state Departments of Veterans Affairs, local housing authorities, and charity organizations can help students with various needs, including paying for rent or groceries, or dealing with foreclosure.
Moreover, Mr. Fanous also recommended that colleges designate lounges where veterans can relax, use a computer, and, perhaps, find some free refreshments, even if only a bottle of water. “Just those simple gestures can make a vet feel at home,” he said.
Those might not sound like bread-and-butter admissions concerns, but, for veterans, such gestures can shape their decisions about where to enroll. “Unless a vet knows that your campus is friendly … or they have heard it from another vet on your campus,” Mr. Fanous said, “chances are they’re not going to want to go to your school.”
Betsy C. Montanez, a transfer admissions counselor at Montclair State University, in New Jersey, described how her institution had changed its admissions criteria for veterans and applicants who are active-duty service members or military reserves. Traditionally, many of those applying as freshmen had not taken the ACT or SAT, taken college-preparation courses in high-school, or graduated with high grade-point averages. And many who applied for transfer admission had not earned good grades in college, completed 24 hours of college-level credits, or withdrawn from their courses properly after being called up.
So the university now waives its standardized-testing and grade-point average requirements for military applicants, as long as they are at least 23 years old and have not received a dishonorable discharge. Applicants must also submit two letters of recommendation and complete a personal essay. Ms. Montanez described the new admissions policy as an acknowledgment of the experience applicants gain through military service. “Who they were in high school and who they are now is completely different,” she said.
Montclair State’s admissions office also extends its usual application deadlines for military applicants (they can complete applications up to one week before classes start), allows them to defer their admission, and does not charge them late fees for past-due tuition. Recently, the university started a pilot program that allows applicants to take placement tests at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina.
Letting veterans know that they can contact someone at any time—and by any means—is also crucial, Ms. Montanez said. Often she receives questions, via instant messages, from students and prospective applicants serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. “They know that someone is out there looking out for them and taking them seriously,” she says.
Ms. Montanez was asked what advice she would give to admissions officers who have not worked with veterans. If you’re asked a question whose answer you do not know, “don’t pretend that you do,” she said. “If you’re genuine and you say, ‘I don’t know, but I can find out,’ they’ll respect you.”
One Response to What Admissions Offices Can Do for Veterans
gsawpenny - February 11, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Excellent. Now if we could just get some combat veterans on the faculty.