What Does Veteran Friendly Mean in Education?

When looking for the right educational program or institution, it's essential to look at how the school treats the military and veteran community. As a veteran and the Deputy Director of the Helen Diller Center, Anthony Paolino put it this way, "there's a blend of feeling included and joining the right college because they are inclusive of veterans." But what does veteran inclusivity mean? How do you know that a college, or company, is doing that?

3 Ways GGU Includes Veterans

Including veterans must go beyond simply saying you are veteran-friendly. GGU makes it clear that they are here to help student veterans succeed. Here are some of the ways they do that.

Recognition

It is important to recognize veterans and military-affiliated students in a way that honors them but doesn't embarrass them. Veterans often find it challenging to be the center of attention, but recognizing them on Veterans Day, their service branches' birthdays, and at graduation with special cords are great ways to show that they are important to GGU. And it gives prospective students an idea of what they can expect as a student veteran.

Speaker Series

When Paolino attended a recent Student Veterans of America conference, there was a discussion about how bringing in expert speakers can help veteran students connect with each other and help institutions connect with their veteran students.

"I think those are an important part of bringing content, bringing resources, directly to our GGU vets," he said.

Some of the popular speaker series events include resources like CalVet, and DAV. The Diller Center team has continued to provide these resources over the last two years by doing Lunch and Learn sessions and having video resources available.

Understanding

The biggest thing that veterans and military-connected students desire from their educational institutions is understanding. This doesn't mean that they know everything about the military, but that they are willing to learn. Paolino said looking at the national data around veteran students is crucial because it allows GGU and The Diller Center to create programs and provide resources to help students succeed.

One example is that of single parents who are attending school. Childcare is a huge need for all parents, and if there is a way that institutions can help veterans who are parents with childcare, the success rate for those veterans will increase. Understanding veterans' challenges and having conversations about overcoming them is one way that GGU shows veterans they care.

Veterans trust the opinions of their network, which means slapping a label on something doesn't ensure it's genuinely veteran-friendly. They look for things like The Diller Center and the staff there. They share their experiences on campus with faculty and staff in their groups and forums. They see what is presented to them and what is actually there. Word of mouth matters, and when veterans have an excellent educational experience, they share it with others.

Trust GGU and its robust support for veterans because our goal is to help you succeed.