U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800

Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001

85–866 2014

EXAMINING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS’ 

SERVICES TO VETERANS 

FIELD HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (EO) 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 

FIELD HEARING HELD IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 

Serial No. 113–41 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

( 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

ii 

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 

JEFF MILLER, Florida, Chairman 

DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado 

GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida 

DAVID P. ROE, Tennessee 

BILL FLORES, Texas 

JEFF DENHAM, California 

JON RUNYAN, New Jersey 

DAN BENISHEK, Michigan 

TIM HUELSKAMP, Kansas 

MARK E. AMODEI, Nevada 

MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado 

BRAD R. WENSTRUP, Ohio 

PAUL COOK, California 

JACKIE WALORSKI, Indiana 

MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine, Ranking 

Minority Member 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

MARK TAKANO, California 

JULIA BROWNLEY, California 

DINA TITUS, Nevada 

ANN KIRKPATRICK, Arizona 

RAUL RUIZ, California 

GLORIA NEGRETE MCLEOD, California 

ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire 

BETO O’ROURKE, Texas 

TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota 

JON TOWERS, Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY (EO) 

BILL FLORES, Texas, Chairman 

JON RUNYAN, New Jersey 

MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado 

PAUL COOK, California 

BRAD R. WENSTRUP, Ohio 

MARK TAKANO, California, Ranking 

Minority Member 

JULIA BROWNLEY, California 

DINA TITUS, Nevada 

ANN M. KIRKPATRICK, Arizona 

Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public hearing records 

of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs are also published in electronic form. The printed 

hearing record remains the official version. Because electronic submissions are used to 

prepare both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process of converting 

between various electronic formats may introduce unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the current publication process and should diminish as the process 

is further refined. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

iii 

C O N T E N T S 

November 4, 2013 

Page 

Examining Higher Education Institutions’ Services To Veterans ....................... 1 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Hon. Bill Flores, Chairman, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity (EO) ...... 1 

Hon. Mark Takano, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Economic 

Opportunity (EO) ................................................................................................. 2 

Hon. Gloria Negrete McLeod, U.S. House of Representatives ............................. 3 

WITNESSES 

Dr. Cynthia Azari, Interim Chancellor, Riverside Community College District 3 

Prepared Statement of Dr. Azari .................................................................... 24 

Executive Summary of Dr. Azari .................................................................... 25 

Dr. Steven G. Brint, Vice-Provost, Undergraduate Education, University of 

California, Riverside ............................................................................................ 5 

Prepared Statement of Dr. Brint .................................................................... 26 

Pamela Daly, Campus President, DeVry University - San Diego ....................... 7 

Prepared Statement of Ms. Daly ..................................................................... 28 

Albert R. Renteria, Member, Small Business Taskforce, The American Legion 13 

Prepared Statement of Mr. Renteria .............................................................. 32 

Sherrod Conyers, California Delegate, National Legislative Committee, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ...................................................... 15 

Prepared Statement of Mr. Conyers ............................................................... 34 

Marques Dredd, Former President, Veterans Club, Riverside City College ....... 18 

Prepared Statement of Mr. Dredd .................................................................. 35 

STATEMENTS FOR THE RECORD 

Student Veterans of America .................................................................................. 36 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

(1) 

EXAMINING HIGHER EDUCATION 

INSTITUTIONS’ SERVICES TO VETERANS 

Monday, November 4, 2013 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, Washington, D.C. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:59 a.m., at Hall 

of Fame Room, Bradshaw Building, Riverside Community College, 

4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA, Hon. Bill Flores [Chairman 

of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Flores, Takano, and Negrete McLeod. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN BILL FLORES 

Mr. FLORES. Good morning, everyone. The Subcommittee will 

come to order. 

I thank all of you for joining us for this field hearing of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the House Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs. My name is Bill Flores, and not only is it my 

pleasure to serve as Congressman for the 17th District of Texas, 

which includes part of the communities of Waco, Bryan, College 

Station, parts of Austin and several others, but also, it is my honor 

to serve as the Chairman of the Subcommittee. 

Before we begin, I would like to say what a pleasure it is to be 

here at Riverside City College, and I thank my colleague and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Congressman Mark Takano, for 

hosting us today. It is great to work with a thoughtful legislator 

like Mr. Takano on our continued goal to provide economic opportunities for veterans. 

Today, we are here to examine and highlight programs, policies 

and benefits that lead to educational success for student veterans. 

Educational success for student veterans can take many forms. We 

all know that a 4-year college degree is not necessarily right for everyone, and with American companies continually begging for a 

skilled workforce due to the so-called skills gap, our Nation’s community colleges, like Riverside, are providing critical training for 

the 21st century workforce. 

Student veteran success is not only important for veterans, but 

also for the American taxpayer as well. I mention this because 

under the right circumstances, the post-9/11 GI Bill can be worth 

over $270,000 to eligible veterans, and I am sure that we all must 

agree that we must make the most effective use of these taxpayer 

resources. 

Unlike many other forms of student aid, the GI Bill is a benefit 

our veterans have earned, and we must do what we can to ensure 

that they are given the best tools available when choosing an eduVACREP180 with DISTILLER

2 

cational program, as well as to equip them to be successful while 

they are in education or in training. 

Congress has done a good job in this regard by enacting bipartisan laws such as Public Law 112–249 to add levels of transparency for student veteran choice and outcomes. We also continue 

to fund VA’s Vet Success On Campus program which has provided 

over 80 campuses with grant funds to assist veterans in their transition to student life. 

We must remain vigilant in our oversight of these programs to 

ensure that the VA is meeting their stated performance standards 

and that they are truly helping veterans reach educational success. 

Today, I look forward to hearing testimony from experts in the 

higher education sector about innovative programs and services 

that they are now offering to student veterans in California, and 

how we can replicate their positive impact across the country. I am 

also very interested in suggestions that our witnesses may have on 

how to improve VA programs and services to our veterans on campuses nationwide. 

At this time, I ask unanimous consent that our colleague, Mrs. 

Negrete McLeod, be allowed to sit at the dais and ask questions. 

Hearing no objections, that is so ordered. 

Once again, I am very happy to be here this morning, and it 

gives me great pleasure to recognize Mr. Takano for his opening remarks. 

Mr. Takano? 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARK TAKANO 

Mr. TAKANO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to welcome you 

and everyone from Washington, D.C. to Riverside, California. I also 

want to thank President Azari, Chancellor of Riverside Community 

College District, and her staff for providing us the Hall of Fame 

Room here at Riverside City College. 

Finally, I want to welcome the other witnesses who have joined 

us here today, and I look forward to hearing from all of you. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for coming to California. I know it is 

a long way from both Washington and your district in Waco, Texas. 

I know that you are truly committed to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and its responsibility to protect our veterans 

and provide them with the services they need to succeed, and I especially appreciate the bipartisan way in which you run our Committee. 

Riverside County has the eighth largest veteran population of 

any county in the Nation, making this the ideal location to hold a 

field hearing. Chief, among this Committee’s responsibilities is to 

ensure that the post-9/11 GI Bill is providing our veterans with the 

necessary assistance, resources and services to pursue higher education. 

Undergraduate and graduate degrees are becoming more and 

more important to finding meaningful employment. Returning veterans tell me all of the time that finding a job is both the most important and the most difficult thing they faced when they 

transitioned out of the service and back into civilian life. 

I know that our local school, Riverside, provides some unique and 

effective services for our veterans, and I look forward to hearing 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

3 

more about them. I am also eager to hear from our student veteran 

who was the former president of the RCC Veterans Club about his 

experience transitioning back to civilian life, enrolling in school, 

and working towards a degree. 

Finally, I look forward to hearing from our veteran service organizations about their experiences helping veterans find educational 

opportunities. 

So again, welcome to California, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back. 

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Takano. 

Mrs. Negrete McLeod, you are now recognized for any opening 

statement you may have. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GLORIA NEGRETE MCLEOD 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and Mr. Takano, 

for inviting me to this hearing. While I don’t sit on this particular 

Subcommittee, I do have my own Subcommittee that I sit on. Last 

August, past August, I had a hearing in Fontana in which we dealt 

with other issues, what kind of issues impacted veterans. So thank 

you very much for allowing me to come. I serve the 35th district, 

which is just west of here. And again, thank you for allowing me 

to be here with you. 

I will leave a little early since I already had some obligations. 

Thank you. 

Mr. FLORES. Mrs. Negrete McLeod, thank you for joining us 

today. It is an honor to have you here, as well. 

Our first panel includes Dr. Cynthia Azari from the Riverside 

Community College District; Dr. Steven G. Brint from the University of California at Riverside; and Ms. Pamela Daly from DeVry 

University-San Diego. 

Each of you will be recognized for 5 minutes, and we will begin 

with Dr. Azari. 

STATEMENTS OF CYNTHIA AZARI, INTERIM CHANCELLOR, 

RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT; STEVEN G. 

BRINT, VICE–PROVOST, UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE; PAMELA DALY, CAMPUS PRESIDENT, DEVRY UNIVERSITY–SAN DIEGO 

STATEMENT OF CYNTHIA AZARI 

Ms. AZARI. Mr. Chairman and Committee Members, thank you 

for inviting me to testify this morning regarding the veteran services and programs in place at Riverside Community College District’s three colleges; and welcome to Riverside City College, an institution with a proud, 97-year history serving students and veterans. 

When I came before you in Washington, D.C. this past June, I 

spoke about the current services in place at the colleges and the 

importance of H.R. 331, and offered several suggested strategies for 

helping institutions better serve student veterans. Today, I would 

like to expand on several points and offer some ideas that can be 

emulated throughout the country at public institutions serving veterans. 

First, however, I would like to say how pleased we are with the 

progress of H.R. 331, now a part of H.R. 2481, which was passed 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

4 

in the House of Representatives a week ago today, and has now 

been sent to the Senate. We believe this legislation, which will 

allow the centralized reporting of veteran enrollment by accredited 

institutions within the same district, will go a long way towards 

streamlining key processes used to serve our student veterans. As 

a district and colleges, we thank you for moving along this important legislation. 

Here at Riverside City College, we have an established veterans 

center where veterans can talk with peer counselors and get educational guidance in a supportive environment among fellow veterans. We offer veteran-specific orientations and priority registration, along with a student veteran education plan. We have a district-wide disabled veteran services program and an active veterans 

club. More than 1,200 veterans receive these services at our colleges each semester. 

In turn, this leads them directly to the classroom and into the 

workroom or transfer to university environment. The approach is 

proving successful, and the University of California Riverside is 

using the ARM program as a model to shape veteran services at 

their institution. 

Of the over 1,200 veterans studying at our colleges, 67 percent 

are enrolled in one or more career technical classes, with nearly 60 

percent of those selecting a career technical program leading directly to the workplace, and the remaining 40 percent completing 

Associate degrees, leading to transfer to a 4-year university. The 

program selections were in nursing, administration of justice, computer programming, business administration. The popular choices 

for transfer were math and science, social and behavioral health, 

and computer information systems. 

Attending community college will cost an average full-time veteran student more than $18,000 a year: $2,800 is for tuition, fees, 

books and supplies; and $11,000 for off-campus room and board; 

and another $4,000 for miscellaneous expenses. 

In the evolution into a multi-college district, we now budget specifically for veterans programs, separating from the general admissions and records budgets. Doing so gives college administrators a 

truer picture of the staff and financial resources required to serve 

our veteran population. While we are still in the early stages of 

this shift, I can report that we are budgeting nearly $400,000 in 

general funds, state funds, on veteran services, excluding the comparatively small amount of $20,000 in direct funding from the U.S. 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

In addition to offering traditional academic and career technical 

classes through our Office of Economic Development, we also serve 

veterans starting or operating small businesses. In 2012, our Office 

of Economic Development sponsored 25 outreach events, provided 

1,550 business counseling sessions, directly assisted 461 individuals and 61 veteran-owned small businesses. These services helped 

veterans and veteran-owned businesses with more than $27 million 

in contract and sub-contract awards. 

Outreach funding remains one of the main challenges in implementing the more comprehensive veterans services and programs 

at our community colleges. Quite simply, community colleges need 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

5 

more Federal funding for veterans, or at least more Federal funding released at the local level. 

Community colleges are portals to the education of the majority 

of veterans. We can move veterans quickly into the workplace or 

into a transfer environment. But we need access to more funding 

and more services supplied at the Federal level, but administered 

and delivered on the local level. This financial challenge could be 

overcome in a fashion similar to how the VA is already implementing broad improvements such as the Benefits Portal, the 

VRAP and VMAT. All of these initiatives are designed to create 

seamless access and education transitions for veterans, and each 

depends on the Federal-local partnership approach. 

As educators and elected officials, it is incumbent upon us to help 

veterans achieve their dreams. That is our collective challenge. Riverside Community College District and our three colleges rise to 

this challenge, but seek to do so alongside all of our sister colleges 

in partnership with the Veterans Administration so that all veterans seeking services can be readily served. 

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my testimony. Thank you for the 

opportunity to speak today on this critical national and local issue, 

and I would be happy to take any questions. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. CYNTHIA AZARI APPEARS IN

THE APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Dr. Azari. 

Dr. Brint, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

Oh, I didn’t explain the timer. The green light means that you 

have 4-and-a-half minutes. The yellow light means you have 30 

seconds. The red light means you need to wrap up quick. 

Dr. Azari, you were right on. 

I forgot to explain how the lights worked. 

Dr. Brint? 

STATEMENT OF STEVEN G. BRINT 

Mr. BRINT. Good morning. I am Steven Brint, Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at UC Riverside. I am honored to be here 

today to share with you information about UCR’s success helping 

veterans transition into higher education and to be successful once 

they do transition. 

The GI Bill provides the financial resources for veterans to earn 

a 4-year degree, and UC Riverside has achieved national recognition for combining access with strong support services and excellence in undergraduate teaching. 

Many of UCR’s 21,000 undergraduates and graduate students 

have stories that can make success more difficult. They are frequently from low-income backgrounds, often the first in their families to attend college. They come from an environment in the military of tight unit cohesion and specific direction and order. 

They sometimes feel isolated in a higher education setting that 

focuses on the individual rather than the unit. At UCR, we work 

to keep our military members, veterans, and family members in 

close touch with each other, and to continue that sense of unit cohesion as they move through their studies. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

6 

Our veterans services coordinator, Chryssa Jones, sits on the Regional Board of Directors of the National Association of Veterans 

Programs, and she is an expert in providing services to our veteran 

students. In addition to meeting with each VA beneficiary face-toface every quarter, Chryssa advises our student veteran organizations, coordinates campus programs and services, and is frequently 

asked to speak at regional and national meetings. Her office suite 

includes space for a veterans lounge so that our veterans on campus can have a place to meet informally. 

Veterans have gone the extra mile for us, so let me tell you about 

some of the ways that UCR goes the extra mile for our veterans. 

We have a scholarship fund, Operation Education, that is geared 

to help cover funding gaps for veterans who have suffered combatrelated injuries. In fact, we are currently finalizing the details of 

a formal relationship to streamline the process for veterans transferring from here at the community college to UCR. 

We have orientation sessions specifically tailored to the needs of 

veterans, as well as welcome events for the veterans and their families. In April, we teamed up with other colleges in Inland Southern 

California, home to 30,000 veterans, for the Inland Empire College 

Boot Camp. We offered resources and answered questions that veterans have about how to get off to a good start. 

At UCR, veterans receive priority class registration, as well as 

assistance with paperwork associated with the GI Bill and state 

benefit programs. We send out regular updates on policy and legislative changes that affect our veterans. We offer a deferred payment plan and an exemption from the application fee, and the first 

late fee each quarter, just to make sure that we are removing some 

of the common causes of frustration. 

When the Federal Government shut down last month, UCR prepared a contingency plan to waive additional late fees, lift registration holds, and provide emergency loan funds to veterans and their 

families. We have a veteran support team with members from 

about 20 departments on campus to make sure that we hear from 

our veterans when they need assistance. Our alumni office coordinates some internship programs between students and alumni veterans. 

The UCR Career Center has developed Operation VETS, which 

stands for Veteran Employment Transition and Success. The program is organized as a bi-weekly workshop for a small group of veterans and servicemembers. In these workshops, veterans polish 

their resumes, practice networking and interviewing, pick up job 

search strategies, and enjoy exclusive recruiting opportunities in 

jobs that lead to prospective employers and other benefits. 

I am going to just quickly skip just a bit. I wanted to say that 

our campus has currently 500 veterans, and one of those is Luis 

Contreras, a UCR graduate of 2012 who majored in biological 

sciences. He credits UCR with helping prepare him for a career in 

medicine, and I am happy to say that he is a member of our inaugural class in the School of Medicine. 

He has told us, ‘‘UCR programs helped me connect with fellow 

veterans and not feel like an outcast for being a non-traditional 

student.’’ 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

7 

We expect great things from him and from all of the other highly 

motivated and conscientious veterans on our campus. They have 

provided outstanding service to our country. In turn, we work to 

provide outstanding educational and social support services for 

them. 

If you have questions, I will be happy to answer them. Thank 

you. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. STEVEN G. BRINT APPEARS IN

THE APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Dr. Brint. 

Ms. Daly, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF PAMELA DALY 

Ms. DALY. Good morning. On behalf of the students, faculty, and 

staff at DeVry University in San Diego, thank you for the opportunity to provide the Subcommittee more information on the great 

work that we are doing to empower our veterans to achieve their 

educational and career goals. 

DeVry University has a long history of service to our military 

personnel that dates back to the 1940s, where we trained Army Air 

Corps instructors on electronic devices. And then following World 

War II, DeVry was one of the first schools approved to accept the 

original GI Bill. 

Today, we help veterans and military students make higher education a reality with year-round scheduling, distance learning, and 

degree programs that provide a solid foundation for career success. 

DeVry University has more than 90 VA-approved facilities, with 

most of them participating in the Yellow Ribbon program, including 

the one that is here in San Diego. Nationally, DeVry University 

serves over 6,500 veterans, with nearly 400 at our campus in San 

Diego, about half of our population. We attribute that to our unique 

geographic locale. Understand that we are only 10 miles away from 

10 military bases and 25,000 military servicemembers. 

To make DeVry University education more affordable for activeduty military and their spouses, these students receive special tuition rates. We also provide veterans with tuition grants, and veterans and servicemembers alike can qualify for credits based on 

their military coursework as we follow the American Council on 

Education Military Guide. 

We also participate in the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Principles for Excellence program, and DeVry University is a member 

of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges Consortium, as well 

as the SOCS degree network system. 

DeVry University has a dedicated military affairs team. It is 

comprised of former servicemembers, veterans, reservists, spouses, 

that provide ongoing support to the veterans and active-duty members throughout their education. We also have student success 

coaches who closely assist military students to complete education 

plans, identify potential barriers to success, and to obtain resources 

to overcome those barriers and assist them with registration from 

semester to semester. 

We offer our staff sensitivity training through the VA and provide the VA Vet Centers open access to the campus, allowing for 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

8 

free communication with veterans and early identification of issues 

that they might face. 

A prospective student goes through a pre-screening with a military education liaison who is a member of the Military Affairs 

Team and is typically the veteran’s initial contact. They then meet 

in our comprehensive interview with an admissions advisor. The 

advisor explains the interview is a two-way process. We are interviewing the candidate, and they are also interviewing us to ensure 

that this is the right choice for their educational and career goals. 

DeVry University has resources in place to help our military students transition to school and work through the challenges that 

they face. The program is called the DeVry ASPIRE program. It 

provides confidential and free counseling services 24/7 to all enrolled students and their family members, and it helps them with 

things such as financial and legal consultation and referrals, mental/emotional/behavioral issues, PTSD, child care issues, family 

concerns, anything that might create an obstacle to the student’s 

success in their degree program. 

On campus, we have a veterans Resource Center that is dedicated space for veterans to find military resources and contacts, including an advisor to again help them who is dedicated to militaryoriented problems and challenges. 

The San Diego campus has hosted military educator forums in 

collaboration with local ESOs and created and promoted designated 

military job fair opportunities. 

To further support veteran students, DeVry University has an 

active veteran community at many of our campuses, and at San 

Diego, we have just initiated the Student Veteran Association, 

which will be having its first meeting in January. 

We have quarterly town halls that are hosted by the Military Affairs Team, and military appreciation events for Memorial Day and 

Veterans Day that are hosted on campus. 

There is really so much more that I would love to tell you about 

DeVry University and our commitment to serving and supporting 

our military students, but I realize my time here today is limited, 

and I want to thank the Committee again for the opportunity to 

share some of these best practices and to answer any questions. 

Thank you. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF PAMELA DALY APPEARS IN THE APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Ms. Daly. 

I thank the panel for their testimony, and I will recognize myself 

for 5 minutes for questions to begin. 

But before I do that, I would like to recognize that Congresswoman Grace Napolitano has a representative here. 

Hector, would you stand up? 

Hector Elizalde—did I get that close? Okay, good—is here, so I 

want to thank Congresswoman Napolitano for having someone here 

to join us today. 

My first question is this. This is for each of you. What recommendations do each of you have for Congress on how we can 

help you assist the student veterans better? 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

9 

We will just start in the same order that you testified, if that is 

okay. Dr. Azari? 

Ms. AZARI. Thank you. If we were able to access Federal funds 

similar to Title V or Title III, even if it is a competitive process, 

we would be able to use those funds to provide more services to 

veterans. We really had to squeeze it out of our general funds in 

order to set up a veteran center. But we would be able to provide 

a lot more services, and especially in our Office of Economic Development, because we are helping veterans who are interested in 

being entrepreneurs and setting up their own small businesses. 

So, I think, not only the veteran center, but to help us provide 

a veterans entrepreneurship program that would really help them 

set up their own small businesses. 

Mr. FLORES. And did you say those should be awarded on a competitive basis? 

Ms. AZARI. I am fine with being on a competitive basis. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay, okay. 

Dr. Brint? 

Mr. BRINT. Yes. I think that one of the issues on campus is the 

advising situation for veterans. Veterans sometimes feel a bit lost 

on a large university campus. It would be very helpful to us to 

have more intrusive advising so that we can give them as much 

feedback as they need. Also, it would be extremely helpful if we 

could do more to connect the veterans with veteran-friendly employers in the communities. This would perhaps require some additional funds from Congress, but I think competition, I would agree, 

is something that we would favor. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. I like the terminology on intrusive advising. 

By the way, before we go on, I would like to thank UC Riverside 

for what you did to accommodate veterans during the government 

shutdown by making emergency loans available to them. I appreciate what you all do. 

Ms. Daly? 

Ms. DALY. Well, I want to say, first of all, thank you for the step 

forward with the JST, the Joint Services Transcript, which is now 

merging all of the different branches into a unified transcripting 

format, which has been extremely helpful in evaluating our veterans’ transfer credits, and also that they are now available online, 

which is a wonderful thing, because we can get them pretty quickly, within 24 hours. So that helps us better serve our 

servicemembers as they come to school. 

I think the one thing that we have sometimes faced, some challenge, with a little bit differently from my colleagues, who have expressed some great concerns, is that the voice between who the 

servicemember speaks to and who the university speaks to aren’t 

always on the same page. There is a little bit of a disconnect between the messaging that a servicemember gets and what the university is being told. So maybe just more of a cohesive message, 

one voice that is represented to the servicemembers as well as to 

the universities. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. 

This question is for Dr. Azari and Dr. Brint. The VA runs a program called the Veteran Success On Campus program, which 

places a certified vocational rehab counselor on campuses as a way 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

10 

to assist veterans with VA benefits and transition issues. Has either your district or your campus heard or applied to this program? 

Ms. AZARI. No, we have not. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. Well, if you don’t mind, we will spend a few 

minutes with you afterwards, or John will. If you haven’t, I would 

suggest you take a look at it. From what we have learned, it is a 

great opportunity for schools to get a trained VA employee on their 

campus. 

Ms. AZARI. Right. Thank you. 

Mr. BRINT. That does sound like a wonderful opportunity, and we 

have not taken advantage of it either at this point. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. It does sort of get to what you were talking 

about as far as—I was going to say aggressive counseling or advising, but there might be a way to partner with each other so that 

you could use a VA counselor on your campus to help with that. 

This question is for each of you. There has been a lot of talk in 

the higher education community about student success. How would 

you define success for your students, and how does your school attract success for student veterans? I am about to run out of time, 

so you can hit it very quickly. 

Ms. AZARI. I think students have to help us define that success, 

if they want just enough courses to advance in their chosen field 

or if they want to transfer. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. 

Mr. BRINT. We generally define it as retention and graduation, 

and also we should think about subject-matter mastery as well. If 

you graduate without the knowledge, it is not such a great thing. 

So we focus on how they are doing in the classroom and whether 

they are graduating. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. Ms. Daly? 

Ms. DALY. Based on graduation. We would say that 71 percent 

of our veterans are graduating, going through to graduation in 

about 2.6 years. 

Mr. FLORES. My time has just about expired. I thank each of you 

for your answers. And again, I thank each of you for your testimony today. 

I am going to recognize Mr. Takano for 5 minutes for any questions he may have. 

Mr. TAKANO. My question is for Ms. Daly. 

Ms. Daly, you heard that Riverside Community College devotes 

about $400,000 out of its own budget for programs specifically targeting veterans. Is there any similar kind of budget line item at 

DeVry? 

Ms. DALY. That is a really good question. I don’t think I am 

qualified to answer that question at this time, but I could get back 

to you with that information. 

Mr. TAKANO. Okay. Are you mainly career and technical programs, do you also have transfer programs into 4-year programs? 

Ms. DALY. We are Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs. 

Mr. TAKANO. So you offer Bachelor’s and Master’s programs? 

Ms. DALY. Yes, and we primarily have transfer-in students, so 

those finishing community college and transferring in. Usually 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

11 

about 40 credits is a transfer in from our military folks into DeVry 

University. 

Mr. TAKANO. I want to just compare costs between the two. I 

think Dr. Azari mentioned about $18,000 a year is the cost if the 

student—it costs an average full-time student, a veteran, $18,000 

a year. Do you have a comparable cost number? 

Ms. DALY. Well, for veterans, it is a little bit different because 

of the Yellow Ribbon program. So whatever the program covers, 

that is what we are charging the veteran to attend. So there is no 

out-of-pocket above and beyond their scholarships and their funding. So, does that answer your question, sir? 

Mr. TAKANO. The cost is funded by the government. My question 

is, what is the cost for a student to attend DeVry, whether a veteran or not? 

Ms. DALY. A non-veteran student would be about $16,000 a year 

in tuition. 

Mr. TAKANO. In tuition alone? Does that include books and supplies? 

Ms. DALY. It does. 

Mr. TAKANO. Okay. Does it include off-campus board? 

Ms. DALY. No. We have primarily non-traditional students. We 

don’t have dorms in our locations. 

Mr. TAKANO. Okay. 

Dr. Azari, tell me more about the veteran center that RCC created. Why was it created? How was it funded? And what is the size 

of its budget? 

Ms. AZARI. We have a veteran center. It is a student engagement 

center. So there is a back office that provides assistance with paperwork, but the bulk of the center, the major portion there is a 

television, there are computers, there are study areas, and there is 

a sofa and a comfort area so that students can connect with other 

veteran students. I don’t have the cost for their budget, but let me 

see if Joy does. 

Okay. Like I said, we spend about $400,000. Normally, what we 

do, Riverside City College gets about half of that, so that is about 

$200,000, and the other colleges get 25 percent of 25 percent. So 

I would say $100,000. That includes tapping. 

Mr. TAKANO. Great. And is it able to fully serve the veteran population at RCC? 

Ms. AZARI. We do the best that we can. We are open every day, 

and there is staff located in the offices every day. 

Mr. TAKANO. What are the greatest challenges you face in attracting and serving veterans? 

Ms. AZARI. I think getting the message out and communicating 

that we have services for veterans and that we will provide that 

assistance. 

Mr. TAKANO. Has your research office been able to determine any 

differences in their success rate compared to the regular student 

body? 

Ms. AZARI. Not to my knowledge, but that would be helpful. 

Mr. TAKANO. One more thing. Do veterans have issues with preparation? Are they arriving at college level? Is there an overall sense 

you can give me on this? 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

12 

Ms. AZARI. Eighty percent of community college students in California come in with deficiencies, either in English or math. So I am 

certain that we have identified those, and then we provide the remediation. 

Mr. TAKANO. Okay. Can you answer that question, Ms. Daly? Are 

there similar issues of preparation, and is there any screening that 

you do, or assessments? 

Ms. DALY. Yes. Assessments are required for admission. Like my 

colleague, we are experiencing the same kinds of challenges with 

remedial coursework required. I would say with our veteran population and military folks, the English is there. The verbal and written primarily is not nearly the challenge. But we do require college 

algebra, which if you don’t use it, you kind of lose it. So there is 

a remedial kind of revisit to that to kind of brush up on those skill 

sets. 

Mr. TAKANO. All right. I think my time is about to run out, and 

I yield back. 

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Takano. 

Mrs. Negrete McLeod, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. 

For all of you, all the community colleges have veteran centers, 

and each community college in my district, and my district serves 

three community colleges, which is Valley, Mount Sac and Chaffey, 

and everybody claims to have the best veteran center. Since you all 

have the best veteran center, do you all—and you have all used the 

term ‘‘best practices.’’ Do you all kind of coordinate with each other 

to see what is the best practice for everybody, even for the universities, since you also have the best veteran center? 

Ms. AZARI. I would say yes, that we do, certainly among the community colleges in California. We have regular meetings of individuals who work with veterans. There are also national meetings 

where we get together and talk about those things. 

But I can tell you that when I was at Riverside City College last 

fall, we did have visitors from the University of California Riverside to come look at our veteran center because they wanted to expand their program. So I know that we have some best practices. 

Mr. BRINT. I would say the national —— 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Because I also have Cal Poly in my district. So, everybody has the best. So I just wanted to know do you 

do the same thing? 

Mr. BRINT. I won’t make a claim about who has the best, but we 

certainly attend the national meetings. We are attentive to the 

practices of all the universities. We attempt to emulate the practices that are working. And one thing that is distinctive about our 

university is, we evaluate what we do and we look very carefully 

at how the veterans are looking at our services, whether they feel 

they are benefitting from our services. We track their progress, and 

we are constantly trying to direct resources and sometimes redesign programs to best fit the needs of our populations. 

Ms. DALY. I would say yes, within our sector. Again, like my colleagues, within the private sector, we have meetings that kind of 

discuss the veteran challenges, successes, best practices, ways to 

improve. One of the ways that we measure the outcome is through 

what we call a promoter score or student satisfaction rate, and the 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

13 

University of San Diego is well above—into the 50s, which is considered the top tier of satisfaction rate. So that is how we know we 

are doing well, and persistence is strong to graduation. Those are 

the ways that we measure how well we are doing. 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Because my district has DeVry, has ITT, 

has a bunch of private post-secondary schools. So do you all kind 

of meet together? I know you are out in San Diego. 

Ms. DALY. Yes, ma’am. 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. And I am out this way. 

Ms. DALY. Yes, ma’am. 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. So it would be the same whether you 

are down in San Diego or this way. 

Ms. DALY. Yes, there are many regional meetings with folks from 

the VA kind of spearheading those and that open dialogue, that 

feedback back and forth. 

Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD. Thank you. 

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mrs. Negrete McLeod. 

And I want to thank each of you for your testimony. 

I don’t have any personal experience with groups like community 

college does or with UC Riverside, but I do appreciate what you 

told us today. I do have a large employer in my district, L3 Communications, that is very happy with the number of DeVry candidates they have working with them. 

So I thank each of you for what you do for our Nation’s veterans, 

and this panel is now dismissed. 

For our second panel, we will have Mr. Albert R. Renteria representing the American Legion; Mr. Sherrod Conyers, representing 

the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and Mr. Marques Dredd, representing the Riverside City College Veterans Club. Each of you 

will be recognized for 5 minutes. 

We also have another Member of Congress that has a representative here today. Congressman Raul Ruiz has a representative, Rebecca Rodriquez Lynn. Are you here? 

So if any of you need to reach out to Congressman Ruiz’s office, 

Rebecca will be happy to visit with you about that, I am sure. 

So we will now begin your testimony. We will start with Mr. 

Renteria. 

You are recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENTS OF ALBERT R. RENTERIA, MEMBER, SMALL 

BUSINESS TASKFORCE, THE AMERICAN LEGION; SHERROD 

CONYERS, CALIFORNIA DELEGATE, NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE 

COMMITTEE, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED 

STATES; MARQUES DREDD, FORMER PRESIDENT, VETERANS 

CLUB, RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE 

STATEMENT OF ALBERT R. RENTERIA 

Mr. RENTERIA. Chairman Flores, Ranking Member Takano, and 

distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, on behalf of Commander Dellinger and the 2.4 million members of the American Legion, I thank you and your colleagues for the work you do in support of our servicemembers and veterans, as well as their families. 

Education is increasingly essential to success in the American job 

market. Whether obtaining a traditional liberal education or purVACREP180 with DISTILLER

14 

suing a job credential, the shift in the American economy from 

manufacturing-based to information-based demands a radical increase in the need for higher education. 

Since 1944, when the American Legion shepherded the original 

GI Bill into law, our organization has taken a strong interest in 

higher education, particularly with regard to veteran education. 

The capacity of the post-9/11 GI Bill greatly expanded the educational benefits available to veterans. The American Legion understands this benefit comes at a significant cost, but the experience is well worth it both for the veteran and the Nation, because 

it represents an investment in the future of our veterans and of the 

country, an investment that will pay off in spades, just as the original GI Bill did. 

As veterans transition from the military to civilian life, they need 

education and job training in order to be competitive in the current 

job market. However, it has become increasingly apparent that 

there is a need to obtain information on student outcomes and ensure the transparency of institutions of higher learning while providing quantitative information on student veterans in order to assess America’s return on investment in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 

Taxpayers deserve to know how well their money is being used. 

But even more importantly, veterans looking to utilize their earned 

education benefits deserve to be given a fair deal, and deserve to 

be given good information that will help them make a smart decision about college. 

Additionally, policymakers need reliable data when considering 

potential policy adjustments. Some of the specific data points that 

the American Legion believes are relevant and should be researched and made available include: the number of part-time, 

adult, military, remedial, and Pell Grant students who are successfully completing degrees; data regarding students who do not complete programs, whether they are transferring to other schools or 

dropping out altogether; the percentage of tuition paid out-of-pocket by the student versus the percentage the institution receives 

from government sources; the amount of overhead debt students 

are being burdened with, and whether they are paying back their 

loans, especially students who do not complete their degrees; 

whether students are finding jobs in their fields; whether students 

are continuing on to graduate school. 

While it is true that some of this data is already collected and 

reported, virtually none effectively captures student veteran outcomes. Data which is reported to the Department of Education and 

complies with the Higher Education Act of 1965 tracks only firsttime full-time students. However, veterans by and large do not fall 

into this category. Typically, student veterans are adults attending 

part-time, perhaps online, and they have previously taken post-secondary classes in some form. Changing these metrics to better capture the student veteran population, as well as the growing number of other non-first-time, full-time students in higher education, 

would be a step in the right direction. 

Further, data which is provided to the National Student Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization that collects and disseminates 

current enrollment and graduation data of the vast majority of 

American institutions of higher learning, does not track student 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

15 

veterans specifically. Because of this, the American Legion believes 

it necessary to develop metrics and data collection which tracks 

student veterans specifically, from the beginning of their higher 

education experience through its completion and employment outcomes. 

Finally, the American Legion recommends more scrutiny be 

given to the process of granting alternative credits. Alternative 

credit is credit which may be granted for experiences garnered outside of traditional classroom settings. For example, students may 

be granted credit for successfully passing a prior learning assessment, or for military or job experience. The American Legion believes that data collating the granting of this type of credit with 

student outcomes would be useful in assessing the importance of 

this type of credit to overall student success. 

In sum, the American Legion urges the embrace of outcomes-focused data systems which provide information that enable stakeholders to make informed decisions. America has recognized that 

veterans are an incredibly valuable resource and, through the post9/11 GI Bill, has invested in them. We need to ensure that veterans 

are able to make the most of this crucial benefit for themselves, 

their families, their communities, and our country. 

Again, thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I would be 

glad to answer any questions you may have. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF ALBERT R. RENTERIA APPEARS IN

THE APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Renteria. 

Mr. Conyers? 

STATEMENT OF SHERROD CONYERS 

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, 

on behalf of the men and women of the Veterans of Foreign Wars 

of the United States of America and our Auxiliaries, I would like 

to thank you for the opportunity to offer the VFW’s perspective on 

the services our colleges and universities offer to student veterans. 

As a current-conflict veteran, I understand firsthand how difficult the transition can be from military to civilian life. For student veterans in particular, the culture shock of going from military life to college life can be particularly daunting. This is why 

campus resources, specifically for student veterans, have been so 

critical to veterans’ success in higher education. 

For years, the VFW has been at the forefront of improving educational opportunities for veterans who have served since 9/11. The 

VFW championed the post-9/11 GI Bill, which recently turned 5 

years old. Last year, we championed legislation to improve consumer information and consumer protections for veterans through 

the Improving Transparency in Education for Veterans Act, which 

was signed into law in early January. This year, the VFW is fighting for in-state tuition for veterans at public colleges and universities, seeking to ensure veterans can maximize their benefits at 

the publicly-funded school of their choice. 

But the VFW believes that we not only have the obligation to ensure that veterans have access to higher education, but we have 

the obligation to ensure they can graduate and find quality careers. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

16 

Recent accomplishments like the post-9/11 GI Bill and the Transparency Act are designed to ensure that veterans are academically 

and financially prepared to go to college, but they do little to ensure that veterans will actually graduate. This is where college-specific services to student veterans play a critical role. 

Over the last few years, many colleges and universities have 

stepped up to improve their on-campus services to veterans, and we 

applaud those kinds of initiatives. The VFW echoes the sentiment 

of our colleagues at Student Veterans of America, or SVA, when 

they say that the investment of a college or university in its veterans has to start at the top. We agree that college presidents must 

have a vested interest in the veterans’ community on their campus, 

or those veterans will face significant hurdles establishing veteranspecific services. 

To the VFW, a model college campus embraces three basic concepts: student veterans who are organized within the student body; 

buy-in from top campus administration, to include the college president, through which policies are crafted and resources allocated to 

support veterans; and dedicated physical space to veterans’ resources beyond the school certifying official. 

The first concept is simple. Veterans should come together on 

campus to offer mutual aide, assistance and camaraderie to their 

veteran peers. Moreover, organized student veteran groups must 

make a concerted effort to become an integral part of campus life 

by either organizing events like community fundraisers or participating in campus events like intramural sports. The VFW has seen 

many successful models for this around the Nation, particularly 

from student veteran organizations under the SVA umbrella at 

more than 800 college campuses from coast to coast. 

One example is at Rutgers University in New Jersey where 

newly-matriculated Iraq and Afghanistan veterans founded a small 

campus group in 2008, dedicated to supporting their fellow veterans, educating their educators about the veterans’ community, 

giving back to campus, and improving veterans’ services. Today, 

the student veterans at Rutgers are a critical cog in campus decision-making, and a well-respected group within the student body. 

The second concept is many times the most difficult to accomplish, but the veteran community has made considerable headway 

over the last few years. At first, many college presidents do not 

readily recognize the diversity of ideas and experiences that college-bound veterans bring to campus. However, once recognizing 

this, college presidents are quick to buy in, ensuring their student 

veterans can be best served by their institution. 

One example is nearby San Diego State University where student veterans made their case to college leadership who in turn 

identified gaps and offered services and campus resources wherever 

they could, such as an old fraternity house now used exclusively for 

campus veterans. Today, San Diego State boasts one of the Nation’s most engaged veteran communities on campus and the largest student veteran population in California. 

Another example is right here at Riverside City College, where 

the administration recognized the need for priority enrollment for 

student veterans. Unlike Federal student aid, GI Bill programs 

have a finite timeline and dollar amount with which a veteran can 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

17 

earn a degree. This means that veterans cannot mark time waiting 

for required degree courses to open up. Riverside recognized this 

and extended priority registration to all recently-separated veterans and GI Bill beneficiaries to ensure they can enroll in necessary classes and graduate in a timely manner. 

The final concept is often a product of the second. Last November, California State University, Fullerton, opened its veteran center, where veterans can meet throughout the day, speak with educational advisors, take advantage of peer tutoring, or learn about 

available veteran benefits. Similar veteran centers are also up and 

running right here at Riverside, at San Diego State, and other 

campuses around California. 

Since the implementation of the post-9/11 GI Bill, many colleges 

have recognized the wealth of knowledge and experience our veterans bring to the community. Some of the Nation’s most elite 

schools, like Columbia University and Georgetown, have built robust veteran communities on campus capable of molding the leaders of tomorrow, as we intended. However, there is still room for 

improvement. 

The VFW has followed closely the growth and success of VA’s Vet 

Success On Campus program. What started as a one-campus pilot 

in 2009, quickly expanded to eight campuses by the end of 2011; 

17 campuses in 2012; 32 in 2013; and a proposed 94 campuses in 

2014. VSOC offers VA-specific resources directly to veterans on college campuses. This program has been invaluable to the colleges 

that have been fortunate enough to be added to the list. However, 

the VFW believes this program has the potential to reach hundreds 

of other campuses around the country. 

The VFW also remains concerned that many schools still do not 

fully acknowledge American Council on Education, or ACE, credit 

recommendations for military training when veterans enroll. Currently, Servicemember Opportunity Colleges, or SOCs, consortium 

participants must have policies in place to evaluate and accept 

military academic credits. Unfortunately, most schools are not SOC 

participants. We understand that Congress cannot legislate the acceptance and transfer of military credits, but the VFW would prefer 

to see GI Bill-eligible schools acknowledge military academic credits and implement reasonable policies to accept credits where applicable. 

The VFW also believes that financial concerns continue to impede academic progress for student veterans. The cost of college is 

a concern for all Americans, and even though many veterans have 

access to the robust post-9/11 GI Bill, most veterans still face significant out-of-pocket costs to finance their education. 

With this in mind, the VFW continues to advocate for in-state 

tuition for recently-separated post-9/11 GI Bill veterans. As written, the post-9/11 GI Bill only reimburses in-state tuition and fees 

for veterans attending public schools. Sadly, many veterans attending public schools cannot qualify for in-state tuition because the 

transience of military life has made them ineligible. Since these 

policies vary disparately state by state, the VFW believes that we 

must offer reasonable in-state tuition protections for student veterans on a national level, especially for veterans who cannot qualify because of circumstances beyond their control. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

18 

Finally, the VFW also believes that schools accepting GI Bill dollars should offer priority enrollment to student veterans if they 

offer priority enrollment to other student groups, like student athletes. I explained earlier in my testimony why this was such a critical issue for veterans who have a finite time in which to use their 

benefits. Many schools, like Riverside City College, have already 

stepped up to offer priority enrollment to foster student veteran 

success, but we believe that more can be done to ensure GI Billeligible schools adopt similar policies. 

As you can see, campus services for veterans play a key role in 

ensuring student veteran success in higher education. We have 

seen significant improvement in this area since the passage of the 

post-9/11 GI Bill, but we must continue to do better. We have several opportunities to get this right at the Federal level, and the 

VFW stands ready to assist, as we have always done in the past. 

Chairman Flores, Ranking Member Takano, this concludes my 

statement, and I am happy to answer any questions that you may 

have. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF SHERROD CONYERS APPEARS IN

THE APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Conyers. 

Mr. Dredd? 

STATEMENT OF MARQUES DREDD 

Mr. DREDD. Good morning, Chairman and Congressman. My 

name is Marques Dredd. I am a member, a retired member of the 

Air Force. I was medically discharged. When I was asked to be 

here, I was very excited because I think you get a different perspective when you actually see someone who is going through the process, who has experienced things and seen things and seen how 

much we have grown. 

The transition from a military lifestyle to a student can be a 

challenging experience. I was medically discharged from the Air 

force. When I returned from Iraq, I found myself in a lost place and 

trying to find out what my next steps would be. After many attempts to find employment, I decided that college would give me 

better opportunities to fulfill my goals. 

When I first began at Riverside College, life was challenging. For 

instance, I did not know where to start and what classes to take. 

At the time, I felt that the veteran’s office would not offer much 

help and I chose to try things on my own. A semester later, I spoke 

with another veteran who suggested coming to one of the veteran 

meetings. I quickly realized that there were many veteran resources to help get me on track. After attending a few meetings, 

it was clear that there were many opportunities as well as veterans 

in the same situation that I was. This inspired me to become more 

active and join the club. 

After joining the club, I decided that I wanted to become the 

president. I saw other presidents before me, and they were motivated, and they wanted to be successful. When I first started here, 

it was a very small building, and we could basically just turn in 

our paperwork, ask a few questions and leave. In the past three 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

19 

years, almost four years now, the Veterans Club has grown so 

much, it clearly inspired us as veterans to do more and see more. 

I have seen veterans before me that had offices, officer positions, 

go on to succeed. Some examples. One has a Fulbright Scholarship 

to University of San Bernardino, I believe. Another got a full-time 

job, actually was a president. And myself, I will be transferring to 

Cal Poly as an engineering major in the winter. 

It is very exciting to see the things that we have done and how 

much we have grown. I think that is one of the most important 

things that I wanted to get across and why I was so excited when 

my advisor asked me to be here. We have things in our resource 

center like computers. Although there are computers other places 

on campus, it is a nice environment to go where there are just veterans where we can discuss other things, and we truly do try and 

help each other. We have books, and we know that sometimes we 

are struggling. We may let them use our book while we use their 

book when we are taking different classes. 

We really try and network and intermingle with each other, 

which I think is another important aspect of the resource center 

and the Veterans Club. 

When I first started here, I thought veterans were going to be 

a bunch of old veteran guys who just wanted to sit around and talk 

about old war stories, and that was kind of my reason for staying 

away from the Veterans Club. But after seeing what it had to offer 

and what our advisors had to offer, it really made me excited. It 

made me want to do more, and it made me want to see that not 

only people around us, but the student population and the college 

would see us as positive, diverse, motivated individuals that want 

to be successful and are here to finish our education. That was my 

main purpose for going in the military, and that is my purpose 

now. 

I didn’t want to use my benefits here. I chose to save them, because I have seen how difficult the university level can be. So I decided to wait. I have used them a few times, but not that much. 

I have been trying to save them. Now that I will be at Cal Poly, 

I am very excited to see what I can do with those benefits. 

But like I said, it is very exciting. I am thankful that I could be 

here and let you know, and if you have any questions, I would be 

more than happy to answer them. 

[THE PREPARED STATEMENT OF MARQUES DREDD APPEARS IN THE

APPENDIX]

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Dredd. 

I want to, before we begin the questioning, I would like to thank 

all of you for your testimony. But more importantly, I would like 

to thank each of you for your service to our country. It should not 

go unnoticed about the sacrifice that each of you have made, as 

well as the rest of your brothers and sisters who are veterans, and 

also your brothers and sisters that are in the United States military. 

With that, I will recognize myself for 5 minutes for questioning. 

The first question I have is for each of you on the panel, and I 

think some of you spoke to this, especially Mr. Renteria. And Mr. 

Conyers, you talked about this a little bit. But if you could summaVACREP180 with DISTILLER

20 

rize, how can Congress and the Federal Government better assist 

clubs like the Veterans Club and RCC and ensure student veteran 

success across the country? 

We will start with Mr. Renteria. 

Mr. RENTERIA. As American Legion has been in the service since 

1919, our main focus is the legislative law that offers our benefits. 

As I pointed out in my statement is with the changing environment 

of the economy from manufacturer base to information base, the 

level of educational requirement for us is higher than ever before, 

and it is imperative to appreciate data that we could gather, as we 

proposed, would help us better present legislation to the body of 

what we think needs to be considered. 

So the reality is, as I heard some of the panelists before us, is 

they are doing great things, best things for us. All veterans are 

taken care of when we do that. Then we do the best. But data collection is key. We know what to do with it. If we don’t have it, then 

we can fail you to better decide how to pass law for veterans. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. 

Mr. Conyers? 

Mr. CONYERS. I agree with my colleague, Mr. Chairman. One of 

the key things that we need to do is communication, effective communication. Like Mr. Dredd said, I am a young veteran as well, 

and contrary to popular belief, a lot of those old stories have a lot 

of value in them, so we like hearing them. 

But setting an ambiance on college campuses and actually, like 

I stated earlier in my testimony, getting the buy-in not only from 

the administration, but also at the top, it starts with the president. 

It starts with your chancellors or your counselors, making sure 

that they are able to buy in, in what we need as far as having an 

outreach center where it specifically caters to veterans. I think 

Congress has appropriated some funds, and there are some, both 

on the House and the Senate side that speak to those volumes of 

allocating more monies. 

We all know in these crucial economic times that here, a couple 

of weeks ago, almost 3.2 million veterans almost didn’t receive 

their regular monthly stipend, per se, which doesn’t even equate to 

what they really are owed. But making sure that we are on the 

forefront of all conversations when it comes to allocating those 

funds, especially when it comes to education, I think that is where 

we can really start, and that is where Congress would be when we 

advocate for that not only in the spring, but also in the fall as well. 

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Conyers. 

Mr. Dredd? 

Mr. DREDD. One of the important things that I have noticed, I 

would hope that we could change or see changes, our veterans 

counselor does a lot of other things as well, and as the president 

of the club, it is kind of hard when you are trying to speak with 

him. And I know he has things to do as well, so he is juggling 10 

things at a time. So maybe to have an advisor that could work specifically with us, and a counselor that could work specifically with 

us, or at least be given more time to focus on us and improving. 

I think that would be very motivational and helpful. 

One of the, I think, hardest things as the president and seeing 

other presidents is when we transfer, sometimes we don’t have a 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

21 

president, so we have a gap. And then we have a new president 

that has to start, and they have to learn the whole process over. 

So by having an advisor and a counselor that worked specifically 

with us, I think there would be more of an easier transition from 

one president to another. 

Things like that, I think, definitely would be helpful as far as— 

that is one of the major things that I have noticed that has been 

a struggle, whenever we change from one office to another, trying 

to find that gap and learn how to do the things over again. 

Mr. FLORES. Thank you, Mr. Dredd. 

I see that my time is about to expire, so I am going to recognize 

Mr. Takano for 5 minutes for any questions that he has. 

Mr. TAKANO. As with the Chairman, I wish to associate myself 

with his remarks regarding the gratitude we all owe to each of you 

for your service to our country. So, thank you very much. 

Mr. Dredd, I was struck by your strategy of you saying that you 

want to preserve your benefits. I want you to elaborate that a little 

more. Can you tell me why you chose RCC as opposed to any other 

type of school, like a for-profit or a 4-year university or private 

school? 

Mr. DREDD. Well, I am a little bit—you wouldn’t know it, but I 

am 36. I am a little bit older. I actually worked before, and I tried 

to go to junior college, and I just realized that it was pretty difficult, actually, to juggle school and work and be able to do just regular day-to-day things without a real struggle. So I decided to go 

into the Air Force. That was my main plan. 

When I got out, I knew I was going to have benefits. I knew I 

wanted to use them. But, of course, you hear a lot of times there 

are a lot of programs out there that are just trying to get that 

money from you. And so they make it sound great, they make it 

sound wonderful. 

Me personally, I knew what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to 

be an engineer. That is why I went in as an aircraft electrician. I 

knew when I got out, I was going to save my benefits as much as 

possible. Of course, it is nice to have when you need it. So if there 

was a semester when I was really struggling, I knew that I would 

be able to use it. But there are great opportunities, like we got a 

scholarship, an Andrews scholarship that was donated to us that 

offers $1,000 a year for a short paragraph about what we would do 

with the money as a veteran. That is just at this school alone, and 

that was really great. 

That is motivating for us, and that is a way for us to preserve 

those benefits because, of course, at the junior college, it doesn’t go 

as far as it would at a university where the tuition is three times, 

as I have learned, three or four times as much. 

So that is a big reason why I chose to hold off and try to save 

them as much as possible, because I have other friends that aren’t 

military that have gone through universities, and they make great 

money. I have a friend who is a vet, and he makes great money, 

but most of his money is going to paying off all that debt that he 

had. 

Mr. TAKANO. Can you tell me, how much did you know about 

how much you had to spend on your education once you knew you 

were going to leave the service? 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

22 

Mr. DREDD. I actually didn’t know. I just heard a lot of people 

say that the GI Bill is a great way to go, it is a good way to save 

money. So I didn’t do a lot of investigating into it at the time. I 

knew I wanted to get some kind of background and career. I knew 

that military service always looks good. I also knew that as an electrician and working on aircraft, it would be great experience for 

when I do get my engineering degree, and I wanted to focus on 

having a path, setting a goal, and knowing where I was going to 

go. 

Mr. TAKANO. So it is just that you had tried to go to community 

college before you went into the service? 

Mr. DREDD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. TAKANO. And then after struggling, you decided to go into 

the service. 

Mr. DREDD. Correct. 

Mr. TAKANO. And you knew that you would get the benefits to 

be able to apply yourself more full-time at college after leaving the 

service? 

Mr. DREDD. Yes. I knew that I would be able to focus more on 

school with my benefits instead of worrying about trying to find a 

job and that balance, which is another thing that I would like to 

say, too. I have noticed that a lot of veterans, they have jobs as 

well, and they are trying to go to school, and it is really difficult. 

One of the other really great things I would love to see is more 

opportunities for veterans on campus to work with other veterans 

in some sort of paid role. It would give us an opportunity to stay 

on campus, and when we are not doing something, we can actually 

do our studies. When we are off campus and we are working somewhere, sometimes it is hard to balance that work schedule and 

school schedule. 

That would be something I also, as a president, really was hoping to—would like to see another step in the right direction is getting veterans more opportunities not only to work on campus, but 

to work with veterans on campus, because that is one of the main 

motivating factors for other veterans, is seeing that—I have seen 

four veterans before me succeed, go on to graduate, go on to other 

colleges, and that motivates me, and it makes me want to motivate 

other veterans. 

Mr. TAKANO. Real quick, did you have to take any courses to upgrade your skills like remedial courses, that you didn’t receive credit for, when you came back? Or were you pretty much at college 

level when you got here? 

Mr. DREDD. Fortunately, because I took some college credits before I went into the military, some of those did transfer, which is 

a benefit. There were some things—my math skills were actually 

a little bit lacking, but I would prefer to start at that lower level 

and build them than to try to get into a math class that I would 

only do sub-par in. 

Mr. TAKANO. Well, great. 

My time is about to run out. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Takano. 

If you don’t mind, I would like to ask Mr. Dredd a couple of follow-up questions. 

Mr. TAKANO. Sure, go ahead. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

23 

Mr. FLORES. What year did you leave the Air Force? 

Mr. DREDD. I left in 2007. Actually, I was medically retired. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. And were you aware of the transition assistance program at the time? 

Mr. DREDD. To be honest 

Mr. FLORES. It is called TAP. 

Mr. DREDD. Yes, I did know about the program, and I think a 

little bit about what happened is, I got really sick after returning 

from Iraq, and the military basically told me that I was incapable 

of working on aircraft as an electrician any more. 

Mr. FLORES. I see. 

Mr. DREDD. So I was a little bitter, I guess, in the beginning. I 

wanted to prove to myself and to the people around me, and to the 

military, that I could still do the things that I wanted to do. And 

so I took a step back and I didn’t really want to have anything to 

do with it. I think once I actually got here, I realized what opportunities there were, and then I found out about the program. 

Mr. FLORES. Okay. I was just curious because you had said you 

didn’t know that much about your benefits, and recently the VA 

Committee has made TAP mandatory. That is within the last couple of years. We have also codified what it has in it. What we don’t 

want to have happen is just somebody to not know what their GI 

benefits are. 

But I thank you for your testimony. 

I thank all of you for your testimony today. Thank you, again, 

for your service to our country. 

Before we adjourn for the day, I would like to extend my thanks 

to the students, staff, administration at Riverside City College for 

hosting us. I thank Mr. Takano for being such a gracious host here 

in California, as well. I thank our witnesses for taking time from 

their busy schedules to be here. I would also like to thank the representatives from Ms. Napolitano’s office and Mr. Ruiz’ office for 

joining us today. I assume you will be here for a couple of minutes 

in case anybody has questions for you. 

Finally, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on today’s hearing. 

Hearing no objection, so ordered. 

This hearing is adjourned. Thank you. 

[Whereupon, at 11:07 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

(24) 

A P P E N D I X 

Prepared Statement of Cynthia Azari, Ed.D. 

Mr. Chairman, Committee Members, thank you for inviting me to testify this 

morning regarding the veterans’ services and programs in place at Riverside Community College Districts’ three colleges; and welcome to Riverside City College, an 

institution with a proud 97-year history serving students and veterans. 

When I came before you in Washington, D.C., this past June, I spoke about the 

current services in place at the colleges and the importance of H.R. 331, and offered 

several suggested strategies for helping institutions better serve student veterans. 

Today, I would like to expand on several points that not only show the level of 

veterans’ services possible at community colleges, but, I hope, offer some ideas that 

can be emulated throughout the country at public institutions serving veterans. 

First, however, I would like to say how pleased we are with the progress of H.R. 

331, now part of HR 2481, which was passed in the House of Representatives a 

week ago today and has now been sent to the Senate. We believe this legislation, 

which will allow the centralized reporting of veteran enrollment by accredited institutions within the same district, will go a long way toward streamlining key processes used to serve our veterans. As a district and colleges, we thank you for your 

role in moving this important legislation forward. 

Riverside Community College District has been successful in designing and putting into place strong foundations upon which we hope to build additional veterans’ 

services. Each of our colleges provides the following core services: 

1. A Veterans’ Center where veterans can talk with peer counselors and get educational guidance in a supportive environment among fellow veterans. 

2. Veteran-specific orientation sessions and priority registration, along with a Student Veteran Education Plan. 

3. A district-wide disabled veterans’ services program. 

4. An active Veterans’ Club. 

More than 1,200 veterans receive these services at RCCD colleges each semester. 

In turn, this leads them directly into the classroom; and then to the workroom and/ 

or transfer to the university environment. The approach is proving so successful, 

that the University of California, Riverside, is using RCCD’s program as a model 

to shape veterans’ services at that institution. 

Of the 1,200 veterans studying at RCCD colleges, 67% are enrolled in one or more 

career technical classes, with nearly 60% of those selecting a career technical program leading directly to the workplace and the remaining 40% completing associate 

degrees leading to transfer to a four-year university. Top CTE program selections 

were in the nursing, administration of justice, computer programming, and business 

administration fields; popular choices for transfer were math and science, social and 

behavioral health, and computer information systems. Attending community college 

will cost the average full-time veteran/student more than $18,000 a year: 

• $ 1,104 Tuition and Fees • $ 1,710 Books and Supplies • $11,268Off-campus Room and Board ($4,518 if living with parents/commuting 

from home) • $ 4,275Miscellaneous Expenses 

With its evolution into a multi-college district, RCCD now budgets specifically for 

veterans programs, separating from the general Admissions & Records budgets. 

Doing so gives college administrators a truer picture of the staff and financial resources required to serve our veteran population. While RCCD is still in the early 

stages of this shift, I can report that we are budgeting nearly $400,000 in general 

funds on veterans’ services—excluding the comparatively small amount of $20,000 

in direct funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

25 

In addition to offering traditional academic and career technical classes, RCCD, 

through its Office of Economic Development (OED), also serves veterans starting or 

operating small businesses. In 2012, the OED sponsored 25 outreach events, provided 1,550 business-counseling sessions, and directly assisted 461 individuals and 

61 veteran-owned small businesses. These services helped veterans and veteranowned businesses win more than $27 million in contract and subcontract awards. 

Adequate funding remains one of the main challenges in implementing more comprehensive veterans’ services and programs at our community colleges. Quite simply, community colleges need more federal funding for veterans, or at least more 

federal funding released at the local level. 

RCCD and our sister community colleges are the Portals to Education for the majority of veterans. Through our mission and our direct education-to-workforce connections and partnerships, we can move veterans more quickly into the workplace 

or on to four-year institutions for advanced degrees. But we need access to more 

funding and more services, supplied at the federal level, but administered and delivered at the local level. 

This ‘‘financial challenge’’ could be overcome in a fashion similar to how the VA 

is already implementing broad improvements such as the eBenefits portal, VRAP, 

and VMET. All of these initiatives are designed to create seamless access and education transitions for veterans, and each depends on a federal-local partnership approach. 

In the same way, through the use of federal block grants or grants similar to the 

Department of Education Title V grants, the VA could provide both capital investment and the pathways to create vibrant, sustainable learning communities for veterans. This model has proven successful in the national Puente Program for Hispanic students and in RCCD programs such as Ujima, Talented Tenth, and Renaissance Scholars for African American students. Right now the VA is doing the outreach through a block grant type of program, letting the colleges do the outreach 

AND service delivery directly to veterans, so they can actively take advantage of 

their VA benefits and advance in non-military career and educational endeavors 

more seamlessly; and with proper support, locally. 

Determining how to best serve veterans is a work in progress, but one thing is 

certain. RCCD and other community colleges across the nation will continue to see 

an increase in the number of veterans seeking higher education and access to the 

‘‘American Dream’’ they pledged and fought to protect. 

As educators and elected officials, it is incumbent upon us to help them achieve 

their dreams. This is our collective challenge. Riverside Community College District 

and our three colleges rise to this challenge, but seek to do so alongside all of our 

sister colleges and in partnership with the Veterans Administration, so that all veterans seeking service can be readily served. 

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my testimony. Thank you for the opportunity to 

speak today on this critical national and local issue. I would be happy to take any 

questions. 

Executive Summary 

Dr. Cynthia Azari, interim chancellor of the Riverside Community College District 

in Southern California is scheduled to present testimony before the Subcommittee 

on November 4, 2013. Dr. Azari’s testimony focuses on how a multi-college public 

two-year system provides services to veterans to help them progress and reach academic and career goals. 

RCCD serves 1.4 million people living in a 450 sq. mile service area. Combined 

enrollment at the Moreno Valley, Norco and Riverside City colleges exceeds 33,000; 

1,200 of those students are veterans. In addition, many veteran-owned small businesses operate in the region, and in 2012 RCCD—through its Office of Economic Development—provided procurement assistance, international trade, and customized 

business training for some 61veteran-owned businesses and 461 veterans. 

RCCD’s three colleges provide a range of services and programs serving veterans. 

Most of these programs are funded with general operations dollars (state funding), 

grants, and private donations. Only $20,000 in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

In 2012, more than 170 student veterans graduated with degrees and/or certificates. The majority of these graduates were enrolled in career technical programs 

leading directly to the workplace. High enrollment programs for veterans included 

nursing, administration and justice, computer programming, business administration, CIS, and math and sciences. 

In previous testimony before the Subcommittee, RCCD proposed five strategies 

that would help the VA and community colleges partner more effectively to deliver 

services and programs to veterans. These, coupled with RCCD’s proven veterans 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

26 

programs—which are being used as a model by the University of California, Riverside—and a VA focus on providing federal block grants or direct ‘‘veteran learning 

community’’ development grants to community colleges would significantly improve 

access to higher education and success for all veterans. 

Riverside City College, Moreno Valley College, Norco College and the District look 

forward to continuing to work with elected officials and government agencies to improve and implement services and programs for veterans. 

EXHIBIT TO THE TESTIMONY OF DR. CYNTHIA AZARI - RCCD – NOVEMBER 

4, 2013 

RCCD STUDENT VETERAN PROGRAMS & SERVICES 

• Each of RCCD’s three colleges is authorized to certify veterans to receive benefits. 

• Each college has Veterans’ Resources Centers, either in place or in development, to assist with GI Bill and other VA education benefits and guidelines. 

• Orientation sessions are specifically designed for veterans. 

• ‘‘Veteran friendly’’ college guidance courses are offered now. In the future, a 

Boots to Books Guidance 48 class will be offered. 

• Every student veteran receives a Student Veteran 

• Education Plan. 

• Every student veteran receives priority registration and priority transcript assessment and processing. 

• The District maintains a disabled veterans’ services program. 

• Comprehensive Veterans’ Services brochures, websites, and other VA and local 

agency information/fact sheets and consumer information are distributed to student veterans. 

• A full-time Veterans’ Services Coordinator (RCC) and designated Veterans’ 

Services Counselors (all colleges) are available. 

• Student Financial Services has an assigned liaison to the 

• Veterans’ Office to assist student veterans. 

• Multidisciplinary Veterans’ Services Committees coordinate student services 

support to better address veterans’ needs. 

• Each college has a Veterans’ Club. In the future, we will offer Veterans Serving 

Veterans mentor programs. 

• RCC hosts an annual 5k Veterans’ Run and other activities in support of Veterans in STEM scholarships, and all of our colleges provide veteran-oriented activities. 

RCCD At-A–Glance 

Service Area: 450 sq. miles 

Population: 1.4 million 

Colleges: Riverside, Norco and Moreno Valley 

Military Installations in Service Area: March Air Reserve Base, Naval Surface 

Warfare Center, Corona, Riverside National Cemetery 

Academic Programs: 100+ degree, certificate and transfer programs 

Student Enrollment: 33,000 

Students by Ethnicity: 

Hispanic!!47% 

White! !!27% 

African American!10% 

Asian/Pac. Islander!08% 

Other/Multiple! !08% 

No. of Student Veterans Served Each Semester: 1,200 

2012/13 Student Veterans Grads: 

f 

170 

Prepared Statement of Vice Provost Steven G. Brint 

Good afternoon. I am Steven Brint, Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at 

the University of California, Riverside. I am honored to be invited to be here before 

you today to share information about UCR’s success helping veterans transition into 

higher education. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

27 

The G.I. Bill provides the financial resources for veterans to earn a four-year degree. And UC Riverside has an excellent record of combining opportunity through 

access and excellence in teaching. 

We do not just recruit students; we are committed to their success in school and 

in life. That success has important consequences for the development of America’s 

competitiveness in the global economy, and is one of many ways that a university 

contributes to the public good. 

Many of UCR’s 21,000 students have stories that can make success more difficult. 

They are frequently from low-income backgrounds, and from under-represented minority groups. Many are the first in their families to attend college. Sometimes they 

are reentering school after a long absence. In the case of military veterans, they are 

coming from an environment with tight unit cohesion and specific direction and 

order. They sometimes feel isolated in a higher education setting that focuses on the 

individual. At UCR, we work to keep our military members, veterans and family 

members in close touch with each other, and to continue that sense of unit cohesion 

as they move through their studies. 

Our veterans’ services coordinator, Chryssa Jones, sits on the regional board of 

directors of the National Association of Veteran’s Program Administrators, a testament to the caliber of expertise available to our students. In addition to meeting 

with each VA beneficiary face-to-face every quarter, Chryssa advises our student 

veteran organizations, coordinates campus programs and services, and is frequently 

asked to speak at regional, state, and national conferences about veterans in higher 

education. Her office suite includes space for a ‘‘Veteran’s Lounge’’ so that the campus can offer an informal gathering space for veterans and military members on 

campus. 

Veterans have gone the extra mile for us, so let me tell you about some of the 

ways that UCR goes the extra mile for veterans. 

We have a scholarship fund, ‘‘Operation Education,’’ that is geared to help cover 

funding gaps for veterans who have suffered combat-related injuries at any time following September 2001. In fact, we are currently finalizing the details of a formal 

relationship to streamline the process for veterans transferring from here at the 

community college to UCR. 

We have orientation sessions specifically tailored to the needs of veterans, as well 

as a welcome event for veterans and their families. In April we teamed up with 

other colleges in the Inland Southern California region – home to nearly 300,000 

veterans – for the Inland Empire College Boot Camp, to offer resources and answer 

common questions about how veterans can get off to a good start in college. 

At UCR, student veterans receive priority class registration, as well as assistance 

with the paperwork associated with the GI Bill and state benefit programs. We send 

out regular updates on policy and legislative changes that may affect military benefits. We offer a deferred payment plan, and an exemption from the application fee 

and the first late fee each quarter, just to make sure that we are removing some 

of the most common causes of frustration. When the federal government shut down 

last month, UCR prepared a contingency plan to waive additional late fees, lift registration holds, and provide emergency loan funds to veterans and military families 

impacted by the shutdown. 

We have a Veteran Support Team with members from about 20 departments all 

over campus to make sure we hear about veterans who need assistance. For instance, our campus housing office provides a veteran roommate matching service for 

students who choose to live in a campus apartment. Our alumni office coordinates 

a mentorship program between student and alumni veterans. Veteran Peer Mentors 

are available to offer experience and advice. 

The UCR Career Center has developed ‘‘Operation VETS’’ which stands for Veteran Employment Transition Success. This program is organized as a bi-weekly 

workshop for a small group of veterans and service members. In these workshops 

veterans polish their resumes, practice networking and interviewing, pick up jobsearching strategies, and enjoy exclusive recruiting opportunities and job leads from 

prospective employers, and other benefits. 

Of course, we offer academic and environmental accommodations for all students 

with disabilities. If called to duty, service members can obtain a leave of absence, 

and be admitted automatically upon return without repeating admissions paperwork. 

UCR offers a workshop that helps staff and faculty learn how to recognize and 

remove the frequently occurring academic and social barriers that many student 

veterans face. We even have an annual workshop for our graduate student teaching 

assistants to help them create ‘‘Veteran Friendly Classrooms.’’ By empowering these 

graduate students, we are working to remove learning barriers not only here at 

UCR, but everywhere that these future faculty members end up teaching. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

28 

We know that service members and veterans are at risk for feeling out of place 

on a university campus. We have drawn on research and environmental scans for 

best practices to develop these programs. Our success with veterans comes from applying some of the same practices that have worked with low-income and first generation students to our population of veterans and service members. 

UC Riverside currently has about 500 students who are military members, veterans, or family members. One of those students is Luis Contreras, a 2012 UCR 

graduate who majored in biological sciences. He credits UCR with helping prepare 

him for a career in medicine. I am proud to say that Luis is now a member of UCR’s 

inaugural medical school class. He said, ‘‘UCR programs helped me connect with fellow veterans, and not feel like an outcast for being a non-traditional student.’’ 

We expect great things from him, and from the many other highly-motivated and 

conscientious veterans on our campus. They have provided outstanding service to 

our country; in turn, we work to provide an outstanding educational and social support environment for them. 

If you have questions, I will be happy to answer them. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Pamela Daly 

October 31, 2013 

Bill Flores, Chairman, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 

House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs 

335 Cannon House Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Mr. Flores: 

Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs more information about DeVry 

University-San Diego. 

From training Army Air Corps instructors on electronic devices in the 1940s, to 

being one of the first schools approved to accept the original GI Bill after WWII, 

DeVry University has been educating and supporting America’s military personnel 

and veterans for many years. Today we help veteran and military students make 

higher education a reality with year-round scheduling, distance learning and degree 

programs that provide a solid foundation for career success. 

Below you will find a brief history of DeVry University, our mission, program offerings and other information that will give you better insights into the high quality 

of our programs and our commitment of service excellence to our students. 

I have also attached a copy of our Academic Annual Report, as well as links to 

other independent studies referenced below. These reports go into even greater detail on DeVry University’s programmatic offerings, teaching approaches, methodologies we use to measure our performance, and the efforts we make to support students. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to submit this information and for all the 

work you do to support our nation’s veterans. 

Sincerely, 

Pam Daly 

Campus President, DeVry University-San Diego 

Overview 

DeVry University is one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems 

in North America. We provide high-quality, career-oriented associate, bachelor’s and 

master’s degree programs in technology, science, business and the arts. More than 

55,000 students are enrolled at our more than 90 locations in the United States and 

Canada, as well as through DeVry University’s online delivery. 

DeVry University’s academic structure includes five Colleges that house its growing list of degree programs. The Colleges are: Business & Management, Engineering 

& Information Sciences, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences and Media Arts 

& Technology. 

Mission 

The mission of DeVry University is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, science, business and the arts. 

The university delivers practitioner-oriented undergraduate and graduate programs 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

29 

onsite and online to meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. 

Our History 

In 1931 the original school opened in Chicago when Dr. Herman DeVry established DeForest Training School to prepare students for technical work in electronics, motion pictures, radio and later, television. During WWII, DeVry University 

was selected by the United States military to educate Army Air Corps instructors 

on electronic devices. Following WWII, DeVry was one of the first schools to be approved under the original GI Bill. 

In 1953, DeForest Training School became DeVry Technical Institute. DeVry’s associate degree program in electronics engineering technology earned accreditation by 

the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology in 1953, and in 1957, the first associate degree program in electronics engineering technology was offered. 

In 1969, DeVry offered the first baccalaureate degree program in electronics engineering technology and quickly after that, in 1970, DeVry earned accreditation by 

the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for bachelor’s degree program in electronics engineering technology. 

In 1973, Keller Graduate School of Management was founded in Chicago as the 

CBA Institute. CBA Institute became Keller Graduate School of Management in 

1974. In 1981, DeVry earned its initial regional accreditation from North Central 

Association. DeVry Inc. was created through the merger of DeVry Institutes and 

Keller Graduate School of Management in 1987. 

Keller Graduate School of Management received approval from the North Central 

Association to offer its master’s degree programs online in 1998. In 2000, DeVry Institute of Technology received approval from the North Central Association to offer 

its business administration bachelor’s degree program online. DeVry Institute of 

Technology and Keller Graduate School of Management become DeVry University 

following the approval of The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2002. 

Today, DeVry University is a critical part of our nation’s higher education infrastructure, with more than 250,000 alumni, nearly 100 North American locations and 

the ability to offer on-site, online or blended programs to its students. 

Veterans 

As previously stated, DeVry University has a long history serving the military 

and veterans, and was one the first schools accepted under the original GI Bill. 

DeVry University has more than 90 VA approved facilities, with many participating 

in the Yellow Ribbon Program, such as the San Diego campus. 

DeVry University has a dedicated Military Affairs team that is comprised of 

former service members, reservists and spouses, who provide ongoing support to the 

veteran and active duty member throughout their education. Veteran student issues 

are routed to the Manager of Military Affairs in their respective region to assure 

their full resolution. 

Student success coaches work closely with military students to complete education 

plans, identify potential barriers to success and obtain resources to overcome those 

barriers. We also offer staff sensitivity training through the VA and provide the VA 

Vet’s Centers open access to the campus, allowing for free communication with veterans and early identification of any issues they may face. 

A prospective veteran student goes through a pre-screening with a Military Education Liaison who is a member of the Military Affairs team and is, typically, the 

veteran’s initial contact. The veteran then goes through a comprehensive interview 

with an admissions advisor. The advisor explains that the interview is a two-way 

process; we are interviewing them and they are also allowed to interview us, assuring DeVry is a good fit for their educational and career goals. The interview culminates into a formal assessment. 

To further support veteran students, DeVry University has an active veteran community at many campuses. At DeVry University-San Diego, a Student Veteran Association is in the forming stage with the first meeting set for January. Quarterly 

town halls are hosted by the Military Affairs team. And annual military appreciation, as well as Memorial Day and Veterans Day, events are planned at campuses 

across the country, including at San Diego. 

DeVry University offers the following services to veterans: 

• ASPIRE 

I DeVry ASPIRE provides confidential and free counseling services to enrolled 

students and their family members, including: financial and legal consultaVACREP180 with DISTILLER

30 

tion and referrals; mental, behavioral and emotional health including posttraumatic stress disorder; career assistance and job referrals; transitioning 

back to school, work and civilian life; military family concerns, parenting and 

childcare issues; relating to other students and school environment; and community-based resources. 

• Veteran Resource Center 

I A dedicated space for veterans to find military-specific resources and contacts, including an advisor who is trained to handle military issues. Additionally, the San Diego campus has hosted military educator forums in collaboration with local ESOs, and created and promoted designated military job fair 

opportunities. 

• VA Collaboration 

I DeVry University campuses provide open access to the local VA in an active 

relationship, as well as partnership with the SVA. VA counselors are also allowed to establish office hours at our campuses. 

• Disability Support Services 

I Aside from academic accommodation requests, veteran students are referred 

to the VA for additional disability support services. 

The federal graduation rate measures only first-time, full-time students. Very few 

veterans fall into this classification, making it difficult to track graduation rates. 

However, we can measure the retention rate of veteran students. This is measured 

from a cohort of new students in the fall semester who persist into a second academic year the following summer or fall semester. Nationally, the retention rate for 

veterans entering in the fall 2011 is 67 percent. This rate is higher than the nonveteran population from the same semester who retained at a 51 percent rate. At 

DeVry University’s San Diego campus, undergraduate retention was significantly 

higher for veteran students at 76 percent, versus 49 percent for non-veteran students. 

Options for Military Students 

To make a DeVry University education more affordable for active-duty military 

personnel and their spouses, these students receive special tuition rates; we also 

provide veterans with tuition grants, and veterans and service members alike can 

qualify for credits based on their military coursework. 

We have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Department of 

Defense that enables us to accept military tuition assistance to help active-duty 

service members pay for college. As part of our MOUs, we participated in a voluntary third-party review to measure military students’ satisfaction and identify 

best practices for serving this population. A team of assessors visited DeVry University’s home office to interview leaders, department heads and faculty members, and 

followed up by surveying students who currently serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force 

and Marine. 

Their report included recognition of our strengths as well as suggestions for how 

we can better serve our military students. Notable praise included: 

• Military students’ ability to continue their studies seamlessly – thanks to engaging, high-quality nature of online courses – as long as they are stationed in 

a location with reliable internet access 

• Our specialized training for faculty and staff, and our membership in organizations like the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) consortium, which 

works to provide quality programs to active-duty military students, their families and veterans 

• Responsiveness and flexibility toward service members, exemplified by special 

tuition pricing and transfer-credit policies 

• Our commitment to using student-survey data to evaluate and improve programs, processes and faculty performance 

• Our Student Central service model, including specialists trained to work with 

military students studying online 

• Robust career services that will become increasingly more important if predicted personnel draw-downs happen in the military 

Independent Studies on DeVry University 

There have been several studies in recent years that support the approaches 

DeVry University takes toward serving students and managing its own operations. 

Below are brief summaries: 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

31 

Cicero study 

An independent economic-impact analysis, conducted by The Cicero Group, 

tracked wage growth from 2003 to 2010 for graduates from DeVry University, 

Chamberlain College of Nursing and Carrington College California across seven 

states, including California, as well as a control group of individuals who expressed 

interest in the DeVry schools but ultimately did not pursue a college degree. Both 

groups had statistically similar starting salaries of $25,000-$27,000 in 2003. But by 

the end of the seven-year period, graduates from DeVry University averaged wage 

growth of 60 percent, or an average of $42,661, compared to the control group’s average final earnings of 18 percent, or $29,224. 

In addition to wage growth, graduates from the three DeVry schools reported 

greater job security, were more likely to be employed in salaried positions, and more 

likely to have a job with benefits like health insurance. And because 85 to 90 percent of graduates from the DeVry Inc. schools remain in their communities five 

years after graduation (compared with 64 to 67 percent for typical college graduates), the economic benefits associated with higher college degree completion rates 

are more likely to be felt within the community. 

The study is available for download at: http://bit.ly/DVimpact 

McKinsey report 

DeVry University was one of eight colleges and universities profiled by McKinsey 

& Company as models of how the United States can meet one of its most urgent 

economic challenges: producing significantly more college-educated workers at a 

time of shrinking public budgets and rising tuitions. 

The McKinsey report, Winning by degrees: the strategies of highly productive 

higher education institutions, cited best practices at DeVry University and seven 

other institutions that can serve as examples of how the U.S. can meet its higher 

education attainment goals without increasing public spending or putting more financial pressure on students. 

The international management consulting firm says colleges and universities 

must produce more graduates without increasing public funding or tuition and without compromising the quality of degrees awarded or reducing access – what it calls 

increasing ‘‘higher education degree productivity.’’ 

According to McKinsey, the eight institutions profiled demonstrate that it is possible to increase degree productivity by as much as 23 percent by 2020 without increasing public funding. Those high performing institutions are achieving degree 

productivity up to 60 percent better than their peer group average, according to 

McKinsey’s research. McKinsey estimates the nation will need to produce roughly 

one million more graduates per year by 2020 – a 40 percent increase over today’s 

rate – and to ensure it can meet employer demand for skilled professionals. 

The report is available for download at: http://bit.ly/vjQa1r 

The Pell Institute study 

Citing a lack of independent research on ‘‘proprietary’’ education institutions, The 

Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education (The Pell Institute) 

conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of DeVry University’s academic and 

support services for low-income, first-generation college students. The study’s findings showed nontraditional students at DeVry University received high levels of personal and academic support, which similar institutions could look to replicate. 

The study highlighted the following three guiding strategies behind the practices 

at DeVry University as key to their support for these students: 

I Approach support services for students as customer service 

I Provide early, in-depth, on-campus student opportunities 

I Establish and sustain a shared sense of community 

Among the essential elements of DeVry University’s support services cited by The 

Pell Institute are: a one-stop shop advising model, an early intervention warning 

system, degree progress tracking, academic success centers and career services. 

In addition, The Pell Institute found that ‘‘valuing students as customers can establish an effective college success culture,’’ especially for low-income, first-generation students. ‘‘Students at DeVry express that they appreciate feeling valued as a 

customer and receiving individualized attention from the staff, administrators and 

faculty,’’ according to the report. 

The report is available for download at: http://bit.ly/DVUpellreport 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

32 

1 Commission on the Future of Higher Education (2006). A Test of Leadership: Charting the 

Future of U.S. Higher Education, September 2006, 6 2 Ibid., 23 

f 

Prepared Statement of Albert R. Renteria 

Chairman Flores, Ranking Member Takano, and distinguished Members of the 

Subcommittee: 

On behalf of the 2.4 million members of The American Legion I thank you for this 

opportunity to submit The American Legion’s views at this hearing titled, ‘‘Examining Higher Education Institutions’ Services to Veterans.’’ We appreciate the efforts 

of this Subcommittee to address the needs of the men and women who are currently 

serving and those who served during past conflicts. 

Education is increasingly essential to success in the American job market. Whether obtaining a traditional liberal education or pursuing a job credential, the shift 

in the American economy from manufacturing-based to information-based has necessitated a radical increase in the need for higher education. Paradoxically, there is 

a simultaneous increase in skepticism regarding the value of higher education 

among many, given the rise in academic hyper-specialization. Nevertheless, many 

of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy require post-secondary education 

and/or credentialing. According to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education’s 2006 report, ‘‘The transformation of the world economy increasingly demands a more highly educated workforce with postsecondary skills and credentials. 

Ninety percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the new information and service economy will require some postsecondary education. Job categories that require only onthe-job training are expected to see the greatest decline.’’ 1 Therefore, as veterans 

transition from military service, there will be an increasing need for them to utilize 

their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to acquire relevant and necessary education in order 

for them to be competitive in the current job market. 

It has become increasingly apparent that there is a need to obtain information 

on student outcomes and ensure the transparency of institutions of higher learning, 

while providing quantitative information on student-veterans, in order to assess 

America’s return-on-investment in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Taxpayers deserve to know 

how their money is being used. But, even more importantly, veterans looking to utilize their earned education benefits deserve to be given a fair deal, and deserve to 

be given transparency so that they are able to make fully-informed decisions regarding their education. Data regarding the accreditation, pricing, and student outcomes 

of a given institution of higher learning must be made available to facilitate these 

decisions, which is why The American Legion agrees with the Commission on the 

Future of Higher Education report, that recommends metrics be developed for accurately reporting this data, and that the data should be made available to students, 

and reported publicly in aggregate form to provide consumers and policymakers an 

accessible, comprehensible way in order to better promote informed decision-making 

by all relevant stakeholders. 2

In 2012, The American Legion, along with other veteran service organizations, advocated for the Improving Transparency of Education for Veterans Act, which was 

enacted into law on January 10, 2013 as Public Law 112–249. The law requires the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a comprehensive policy to improve 

outreach and transparency to service members and veterans, including the provision 

of information on institutions of higher learning. The law further requires VA to create a centralized mechanism for tracking and publishing feedback from students 

and State Approving Agencies (SAA) regarding the quality of instruction, recruiting 

practices, and post-graduation employment placement of institutions of higher 

learning that: 

• Protects the privacy of students, by not publishing the names of students; and 

• Publishes only feedback that conforms to the criteria for relevancy that VA 

shall determine 

The law also requires VA to provide specific post-secondary education information 

as part of its effort to deliver effective methods to provide beneficiaries with accurate information regarding post-secondary education and training opportunities that 

are available. Considering the taxpayer’s significant federal investment in programs 

and institutions, policymakers should demand better information about the effectiveness of higher education. Public Law 112–249, coupled with Executive Order 

13607: Establishing Principles of Excellence of Education Institutions Serving ServVACREP180 with DISTILLER

33 

3The American Legion Resolution No. 67: Student-Veteran Return-On-Investment Education 

Outcome 

ice members, Veterans, and Spouses, and Other Family Members, have been good 

starting point. 

However, there is still much work to be done. The American Legion believes that 

more data would empower veterans to make better informed decisions regarding 

their education, and would allow policymakers and other stakeholders to more accurately assess possible policy adjustments. Some of the specific data points that The 

American Legion believes are relevant, and should be researched and made available include: 

• The number of part-time, adult, military, remedial, and Pell Grant students 

who are successfully completing degrees. 

• Data regarding students who do not complete programs: whether they are 

transferring to other schools or dropping out altogether. 

• The percentage of tuition paid out-of-pocket by the student versus the percentage the institution receives from government sources. 

• The amount of overhead debt students are being burdened with, and whether 

they are paying back their loans – especially students who do not complete their 

degrees. 

• Whether students are finding jobs in their fields. 

• Whether students are continuing on to graduate school. 

Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, institutions of higher learning are required to report their 4 and 6 year graduation rate to the Department of Education; 

however, the metrics utilized only call for the reporting of first-time, full-time students. Thus, some relevant data is already available to stakeholders; unfortunately, 

this data fails to capture the outcomes of the majority of student veterans. Veterans, 

by and large, do not fall into the ‘‘first-time, full-time’’ category – typically veteran 

students are adults, attending part-time, perhaps online, and may have previously 

taken post-secondary classes in some form. Changing these metrics to better capture 

the student-veteran population – as well as the growing number of other non-first 

time, full-time students in higher education – would be a step in the right direction. 

The National Student Clearinghouse is a second source of data available to stakeholders. This is an organization dedicated to serving the education community by 

facilitating the exchange and understanding of student enrollment, performance and 

related information. In terms of compliance reporting, the National Student Clearinghouse collects current enrollment and graduation data from the vast majority of 

American institutions of higher learning, and in turn makes the data available to 

the Department of Education, and various other stakeholders. In this way, data is 

collected and made available without posing risks to student-veterans’ privacy. 

Again, however, it fails to track student-veterans specifically. Therefore, The American Legion believes it necessary to develop metrics and data-collection which tracks 

student-veterans specifically, from the beginning of their higher-education experience through its completion: their transition into the workforce. 3

The American Legion also would like data that clearly delineates the impact of 

‘‘alternative credits’’ in the overall success of student veterans. Alternative credit is 

credit which may be granted for experiences garnered outside of traditional classroom settings. For example, students may be granted credit for successfully passing 

a prior learning assessment, or for military or job experience. Data correlating the 

granting of this type of credit with student outcomes would be useful in assessing 

the importance of this type of credit to overall student success. 

In sum, The American Legion urges the embrace of outcomes-focused data systems which provide information that enable stakeholders to make informed decisions. These systems must provide the data necessary to calculate ‘‘return-on-investment’’ measures, as well as promoting continuous improvement within higher education institutions and training programs. These data will also provide valuable 

feedback to policymakers as they seek to optimize policies directed at tracking and 

improving student outcomes. Timely, contextual, and actionable data are vital to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment – all of which are critical to improving the outcomes of our education and workforce development systems. 

Again, thank you for the opportunity to submit the recommendations of The 

American Legion on this issue. 

For additional information regarding this testimony, please contact Mr. Shaun 

Rieley at The American Legion’s Legislative Division, (202) 999–6881 or 

srieley@legion.org. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

f 

34 

Prepared Statement of Sherrod Conyers 

MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE: 

On behalf of the men and women of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. 

(VFW) and our Auxiliaries, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to offer 

the VFW’s perspective on the services our colleges and universities offer to student 

veterans. 

As a current conflict veteran, I understand first-hand how difficult the transition 

can be from military to civilian life. For student veterans in particular, the culture 

shock of going from military life to college life can be particularly daunting. This 

is why campus resources specifically for student veterans have been so critical to 

veterans’ success in higher education. 

For years the VFW has been at the forefront of improving educational opportunities for veterans who have served since 9/11. The VFW championed the Post-9/11 

GI Bill, which recently turned five years old. Last year we championed legislation 

to improve consumer information and consumer protections for veterans through the 

Improving Transparency in Education for Veterans Act, which was signed into law 

in early January. This year, the VFW is fighting for in-state tuition for veterans 

at public colleges and universities, seeking to ensure veterans can maximize their 

benefits at the publicly-funded school of their choice. 

But the VFW believes that we not only have the obligation to ensure that veterans have access to higher education, but we have the obligation to ensure they 

can graduate and find quality careers. Recent accomplishments like the Post-9/11 

GI Bill and the Transparency Act are designed to ensure that veterans are academically and financially prepared to go to college, but they do little to ensure that veterans will actually graduate. This is where college-specific services to student veterans play a critical role. 

Over the last few years, many colleges and universities have stepped up to improve their on-campus services to veterans, and we applaud those kinds of initiatives. The VFW echoes the sentiment of our colleagues at Student Veterans of 

America (SVA) when they say that the investment of a college or university in its 

veterans has to start at the top. We agree that college presidents must have a vested interest in the veterans’ community on their campus, or those veterans will face 

significant hurdles establishing veteran-specific services. 

To the VFW, a model college campus embraces three basic concepts: Student veterans who are organized within the student body; buy-in from top campus administration, to include the college president, through which policies are crafted and resources allocated to support veterans; and dedicated physical space to veterans’ resources beyond the school certifying official. 

The first concept is simple: Veterans should come together on campus to offer mutual aide, assistance and camaraderie to their veteran peers. Moreover, organized 

student veteran groups must make a concerted effort to become an integral part of 

campus life by either organizing events like community fundraisers or participating 

in campus events like intramural sports. The VFW has seen many successful models 

for this around the nation – particularly from student veteran organizations under 

the SVA umbrella at more than 800 college campuses from coast to coast. One example is at Rutgers University in New Jersey where newly-matriculated Iraq and 

Afghanistan veterans founded a small campus group in 2008 dedicated to supporting their fellow veterans, educating their educators about the veterans’ community, giving back to campus, and improving veterans’ services. Today, the student 

veterans at Rutgers are a critical cog in campus decision-making, and a well-respected group within the student body. 

The second concept is many times the most difficult to accomplish, but the veterans’ community has made considerable headway over the last few years. At first, 

many college presidents do not readily recognize the diversity of ideas and experience that college-bound veterans bring to campus. However, once recognizing this, 

college presidents are quick to buy in, ensuring their student veterans can be best 

served by their institution. One example is nearby San Diego State University 

where student veterans made their case to college leadership who in turn identified 

gaps and offered services and campus resources wherever they could – such as an 

old fraternity house now used exclusively for campus veterans. Today, San Diego 

State boasts one of the nation’s most engaged veterans’ communities on campus and 

the largest student veteran population in California. 

Another example is right here at Riverside City College, where the administration 

recognized the need for priority enrollment for student veterans. Unlike federal student aid, GI Bill programs have a finite timeline and dollar amount with which a 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

35 

veteran can earn a degree. This means that veterans cannot mark time waiting for 

required degree courses to open up. Riverside recognized this and extended priority 

registration to all recently-separated veterans and GI Bill beneficiaries to ensure 

they can enroll in necessary classes and graduate in a timely manner. 

The final concept is often a product of the second. Last November, California 

State University Fullerton opened its veterans’ center, where veterans can meet 

throughout the day, speak with educational advisors, take advantage of peer tutoring, or learn about available veterans’ benefits. Similar veterans’ centers are also 

up and running right here at Riverside, at San Diego State, and other campuses 

around California. 

Since the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, many colleges have recognized 

the wealth of knowledge and experience our veterans bring to the community. Some 

of the nation’s most elite schools, like Columbia University and Georgetown, have 

built robust veterans’ communities on campus capable of molding the leaders of tomorrow as we intended. However, there is still room for improvement. 

The VFW has followed closely the growth and success of VA’s VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) program. What started as a one-campus pilot in 2009 quickly expanded 

to eight campuses by the end of 2011; 17 campuses in 2012; 32 in 2013 and a proposed 94 campuses in 2014. VSOC offers VA-specific resources directly to veterans 

on college campuses. This program has been invaluable to the colleges that have 

been fortunate enough to be added to the list. However, the VFW believes this program has the potential to reach hundreds of other campuses around the country. 

The VFW also remains concerned that many schools still do not fully acknowledge 

American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations for military training 

when veterans enroll. Currently, Servicemember Opportunity Colleges (SOC) consortium participants must have policies in place to evaluate and accept military academic credits. Unfortunately, most schools are not SOC participants. We understand 

that Congress cannot legislate the acceptance and transfer of military credits, but 

the VFW would prefer to see GI Bill-eligible schools acknowledge military academic 

credits and implement reasonable policies to accept credits where applicable. 

The VFW also believes that financial concerns continue to impede academic 

progress for student veterans. The cost of college is a concern for all Americans, and 

even though many veterans have access to the robust Post-9/11 GI Bill, most veterans still face significant out-of-pocket costs to finance their education. With this 

in mind, the VFW continues to advocate for in-state tuition for recently-separated 

Post-9/11 GI Bill veterans. As written, the Post-9/11 GI Bill only reimburses in-state 

tuition and fees for veterans attending public schools. Sadly, many veterans attending public schools cannot qualify for in-state tuition because the transience of military life has made them ineligible. Since these policies vary disparately state by 

state, the VFW believes that we must offer reasonable in-state tuition protections 

for student veterans on a national level, especially for veterans who cannot qualify 

because of circumstances beyond their control. 

Finally, the VFW also believes that schools accepting GI Bill dollars should offer 

priority enrollment to student veterans if they offer priority enrollment to other student groups, like student athletes. I explained earlier in my testimony why this was 

such a critical issue for veterans who have a finite time in which to use their benefits. Many schools, like Riverside City College, have already stepped up to offer priority enrollment to foster student veteran success, but we believe that more can be 

done to ensure GI Bill-eligible schools adopt similar policies. 

As you can see, campus services for veterans play a key role in ensuring student 

veteran success in higher education. We have seen significant improvement in this 

area since the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, but we must continue to do better. 

We have several opportunities to get this right at the federal level, and the VFW 

stands ready to assist as we have always done in the past. 

Chairman Flores, Ranking Member Takano, this concludes my statement and I 

am happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Information Required by Rule XI2(g)(4) of the House of Representatives 

Pursuant to Rule XI2(g)(4) of the House of Representatives, VFW has not received 

any federal grants in Fiscal Year 2013, nor has it received any federal grants in 

the two previous Fiscal Years. 

f 

Prepared Statement of Marques Dredd 

The transition from a military life style to a student can be a challenging experience. I was medically discharged from the Air force. When I return from Iraq, I 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

36 

1 National Student Clearing House. ‘‘Clearinghouse Facts,’’ Accessed June 14, 2013. http:// 

www.studentclearinghouse.org/about/clearinghouse—facts.php 

found myself in a lost place and trying to find out what my next step would be. 

After many attempts to find employment, I decided that college would give me better opportunities to fulfill my goals. When I first began at Riverside City College, 

life was a challenge. For instance, I did not know where to start and what classes 

to take. At the time, I felt that the veteran’s office would not offer much help and 

I chose to try things on my own. A semester later, I spoke to another veteran who 

suggested coming to one of the veteran meetings. I quickly realized that there were 

many veteran resources to help get on track. After attending a few meetings, it was 

clear that there were many opportunities as well as veterans in the same situation 

that I was in. This inspired me to become more active and Join the club. 

The main purpose of the Veterans club is to keep the students informed on upcoming events, opportunities, and a place to associate with other students that have 

come from similar situations. As a club we strive to be recognized as positive, motivated students that have a lot to offer RCC as well as the community. We also want 

other clubs and organizations to understand that although we have military backgrounds, we are individuals who embrace our individuality and our diversity and 

value those traits in others. 

The Veterans Resource Center (V.R.C.) which opened in spring of 2011 has played 

an important role in giving veteran students’ access to resources that otherwise 

would not have been offered. Some examples are: quicker priority registration, access to computers and the ability to print, laptops that can be checked out on a 

weekly basis, V.A./AMVET officers that can help file claims. These are just a few 

of the resources that the center provides. Another benefit of the resource center is 

the Staff. They are always willing to help and provide the most up to date information to students on G.I. Bill benefits and processing the paperwork. 

As a Veteran pursuing higher education the resources and Student Veterans Association (Veterans Club) have motivated me in many ways. I chose to take the position as President of the group because I believed that my experience could help others achieve their goals too. Working with our Veterans club Advisors Garth Schultz 

and Santos Martinez, I learned a lot about how to network with College staff, organize events, and how to provide information that can help promote positive veteran 

influence. Further, I understand what the responsibilities of a club are and how to 

make it successful. These are all skills that I will continue to use as I transfer to 

California Polytechnic State University in the winter and throughout the rest of my 

life. 

Sincerely, 

Marques Dredd 

Veterans Club President (9/2012- 6/2013) 

f 

Statement For The Record 

STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

As the largest and only national association of military veterans in higher education, Student Veterans of America’s (SVA) mission is to provide military veterans 

with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education 

and after graduation. SVA has been a strong proponent of tracking student veteran 

outcomes to define the success of veterans in higher education and to dispel, or substantiate, notions of low veteran graduation rates. SVA was also a key contributor, 

along with The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in the effort 

to provide veterans and servicemembers with greater consumer protections and consumer education tools, as evidenced by our role in the establishment of the Principles of Excellence and the passage of the Improving Transparency of Educational 

Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012. 

To further support student veterans, SVA has partnered with the Department of 

Veterans Affairs and The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit organization 

with enrollment data on over 95% of America’s student population 1, to create and 

develop the Million Records Project. The initiative will track the academic outcomes, 

including graduation rates, for 1 million student veterans enrolled between 2002 

and 2010. The database will address some of the weaknesses in current Federal 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

37 

2 VFW Hill Blog. ‘‘VFW Builds Coalition to Support Student-Veteran Success,’’ February 12, 

2012. http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2012/02/vfw-builds-coalition-to-support-student.html. 3 Barack Obama. ‘‘Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving 

Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members,’’ Executive Order 13607, 27 

April 2012, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR–2012–05–02/pdf/2012–10715.pdf 

databases and surveys to produce a more accurate estimate of student veteran postsecondary completion rates, thus fulfilling a key provision of Executive Order 13607. 

SVA expects to publish an initial report on the completion rate of approximately 1 

million veterans that have used various forms of the GI Bill between 2002 and 2010 

in the first quarter of 2014. 

Accurately measuring the academic outcomes of student veterans will benefit 

countless stakeholders. Policymakers will have sound data upon which to base legislative decisions that directly impact thousands of GI Bill beneficiaries and 

servicemembers. Accurate data will also be instrumental in evaluating Federal, 

state, and institutional level policies, practices, and services established to support 

student veterans. Effective programs can be brought to scale and others can be 

minimized. The end result will be greater support for student veterans. 

The Million Records Project is a vital first step to accurately identifying, tracking, 

and measuring student veteran postsecondary completion rates. It will provide a 

benchmark of student veterans’ postsecondary success. The project will be a stepping-stone to identify areas where student veterans may need more support and it 

will likely lead to future research regarding student veteran persistence, key loss 

points (moments in time where a high percentage of students dropout), and effective 

programs and policies. Data is critical to empowering colleges and universities to 

better support their student veteran population through to graduation. 

WRITTEN TESTIMONY 

Thank you for inviting comments on this field hearing discussing the transparency of student veteran outcomes and ways the higher education community can 

better support student veterans. We are particularly grateful for this opportunity 

to provide the Subcommittee with new developments on tracking student veteran 

outcomes to better define student veteran success. 

Student Veterans of America (SVA) is the largest and only national association 

of military veterans in higher education. Our mission is to provide military veterans 

with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education 

and after graduation. We currently have over 900 chapters, or student veteran organizations, at colleges and universities in all 50 states that assist veterans in their 

transition to and through higher education. SVA chapters are organized at four-year 

and two-year public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions of higher learning. 

These chapters provide SVA with a distinct perspective on veterans earning postsecondary credentials. 

Since SVA’s founding in 2008, we have been involved in the efforts to accurately 

track student veteran outcomes and to assist the higher education community in 

supporting student veterans on campus. In January of last year, SVA was a key 

contributor and signatory of a coalition letter, authored by the Veterans of Foreign 

Wars, calling for executive and congressional action to inform and protect veterans 

in higher education 2. The letter culminated in the issuance of Executive Order 

13607 and the passage of H.R. 4057, a bill introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis and 

now Public Law 112–247. 

A key component of the Principles of Excellence (Executive Order 13607) is the 

call to track student veteran academic success rates. According to Section 3c, the 

Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Education are to track student outcomes, to the extent practicable, utilizing existing administration data. 3 The tracking of student veteran outcomes is critical to identifying the academic success of veterans and the policies, programs, and services that lead to higher student veteran 

success rates. This information will allow Congress and the higher education community to better allocate resources to programs and services of value. 

However, current executive and congressional action does not go far enough. 

Given that data on veteran and servicemember outcomes has rarely been tracked, 

we remain concerned that existing Federal data remains flawed, or minimal, at 

best. The greatest challenge when trying to track student veteran outcomes is accurately identifying veterans. National level data on student veterans has been difficult to find, analyze, and interpret due to poor collection methods, narrow inclusion 

criteria, and mistakes in correctly identifying student veterans. Most Federally 

maintained databases on postsecondary student outcomes exclude a portion of the 

student veteran population while including other military populations, which deVACREP180 with DISTILLER

38 

4Westat. National Survey of Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, Demobilized National 

Guard and Reserve Members, Family Members, and Surviving Spouses. Final Report, Rockville, 

MD: Westat, 2010. Retrieved from http://http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SurveysAndStudies/ 

NVSSurveyFinalWeightedReport.pdf. 5 U.S. Census Bureau. ‘‘Table B21003: Veteran status by educational attainment for the civilian population 25 years and over. 2007–2011 American community survey 5-year estimate,’’ 

Accessed June 13, 2013. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/ 

productview.xhtml?pid=ACS—11—5YR—B21003&prodType=table 6 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, ‘‘Six-year attainment rate at any institution among all first-time beginning students,’’ 2003–04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up, April, 2009. Accessed June 13, 2013. 

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/xls/F09—VETERAN—PROUT6B.xlsx 

creases accuracy. In addition, Federally maintained databases that accurately identify student veterans have not collected data on or shared information with other 

databases that collect information on student outcomes, until recently though Executive Order 13607. 

These flaws contribute to confusing results and misleading perceptions of student 

veteran postsecondary success. For example, The 2010 National Survey of Veterans 

reports a student veteran postsecondary completion rate of 68% 4; the American 

Community Survey reports 56% of veterans have completed at least some college 

or higher; 5 the National Center for Educational Statistics reports the six-year completion rate for student veterans starting in 2003 was 36% with a margin of error 

of 11.5% 6. It is evident that the current systems for tracking student veteran postsecondary academic outcomes are inefficient and inadequate. It fosters confusion 

and is riddled with contradictions, all of which masks the value of the GI Bill investment. 

The lack of empirical data on the drivers of student veteran success creates barriers for institutions of higher learning. Many are facing budget reductions and increased demand for services. Without accurate data, schools may be investing scarce 

resources on ineffective programs. 

To counter these challenges, SVA believes that a new database or system should 

be established to accurately measure and track student veteran academic outcomes. 

The new database must first be able to accurately identify current student veterans, 

excluding veteran dependents and Active Duty service members enrolled in post-secondary programs. Second, it would need to be able to track student veterans’ enrollment at the individual level, so that student veterans are not excluded due to transferring schools or taking a break from college. 

These criteria are the foundation of SVA’s Million Records Projects, also known 

as the Student Veteran Attainment Database. The system was created by SVA in 

partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Student 

Clearinghouse (NSC). It will, for the first time in history, accurately track and 

measure student veteran academic outcomes. 

The Student Veteran Attainment Database utilizes the veteran education beneficiary information from the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify student veterans. The NSC collects individual student enrollment data from institutions of 

higher education and provides accurate enrollment and completion data for individual students, even if a student transfers schools or stops-out. By cross referencing the data of the VA with the data of the NSC, the Student Veteran Attainment database will show the true student veteran completion rate for 1 million student veterans enrolled between 2002 and 2010. Not only will this data provide policymakers with greater insight regarding the value of the GI Bill, but it will empower service providers and institutions of higher learning to invest in data-driven 

programs, policies, and services that lead to improved student veteran academic outcomes. 

A number of resources, based on the little research regarding student veteran outcomes that does exist, have already been created to catalogue some of these leading 

practices. The American Council of Education, for example, created the Veteran 

Friendly Toolkit to crowd-sources policies, programs, and services from their member institutions. Victory Media, who operates the GI Jobs Military Friendly School 

List, uses a different scoring rubric to measure and assign schools a ‘‘Military 

Friendly’’ designation. 

In addition to ACE’s Toolkit and the GI Jobs list, a wealth of anecdotal evidence 

on institutional practices supporting student veterans does exist, some of which the 

committee heard today from Riverside City College’s SVA Chapter. Their on-theground perspective is extremely valuable to stakeholders and policymakers. They 

represent the peer-to-peer support structure that eases the transition from the military to college life for student veterans. 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER

39 

Another significant component of success for student veterans is the dedication of 

on-campus space in the form of a student veteran resource center or lounge. It allows student veterans to meet one another, provide academic support, socialize with 

peers, or meet with veteran-supportive staff like certifying officers, academic advisors, and counselors. Some institutions have adopted formal student veteran 

mentorship programs to pair senior student veterans or alumni with newly enrolled 

student veterans. These are just a few examples of how institutions can foster a 

sense of community and support for student veterans. 

Anecdotal evidence also shows that removing or easing administrative barriers increases a veteran’s success on campus. Priority registration, for example, ensures 

that student veterans can enroll in classes that meet requirements for utilizing their 

VA education benefits. Exemption from in-state residency conditions allows student 

veterans to begin their studies sooner without needing to meet residency guidelines 

or potentially having to pay extra tuition costs as an out-of-state college student. 

Policies and programs that support student veterans when VA benefits are delayed 

also ensure that student veterans can continue their studies uninterrupted. 

Finally, student veterans have reported that when institutions invest in understanding their needs, the school is better equipped to provide support. An annual 

survey to understand utilization of on-campus services and collect feedback is a simple way to collect data. It can also be in the form of a resource team or veteran 

task force that listens to student veterans and includes them in the process of finding resources and solutions. Some institutions have held veteran panels to inform 

the entire campus community about the experiences of student veterans. 

In conclusion, establishing an accurate database to identify student veterans and 

track their academic outcomes is the first vital step in providing more effective, robust support for student veterans. It is hardly the last. SVA’s Student Veteran Attainment Database will test an accurate method to capture student veteran degree 

attainment and completion rates. The next phase of the research will be to use the 

data to better understand the drivers of student veteran persistence and graduation. 

Accurate data will empower policymakers, institutions of higher learning, student 

veterans and service providers to invest limited resources into effective programs 

that will lead to a full realization of the potential of the GI Bill investment. 

Thank you Chairman Flores, Ranking Member Takano, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee for allowing Student Veterans of America to submit our 

views on legislation focused on supporting veterans, military servicemembers, and 

their families. 

References 

Barack Obama. ‘‘Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions 

Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses, and Other Family Members,’’ Executive Order 13607, 27 April 2012, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR–2012–05–02/pdf/ 

2012–10715.pdf 

National Student Clearing House. ‘‘Clearinghouse Facts,’’ Accessed June 14, 2013. 

http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/about/clearinghouse—facts.php 

U.S. Census Bureau. ‘‘Table B21003: Veteran status by educational attainment for 

the civilian population 25 years and over. 2007–2011 American community survey 

5-year estimate,’’ Accessed June 13, 2013. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/ 

tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS—11—5YR— 

B21003&prodType=table 

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, ‘‘Six-year 

attainment rate at any institution among all first-time beginning students,’’ 2003– 

04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, Second Follow-up, April, 

2009. Accessed June 13, 2013. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/xls/F09—VETERAN—PROUT6B.xlsx 

VFW Hill Blog. ‘‘VFW Builds Coalition to Support Student-Veteran Success,’’ February 12, 2012. http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2012/02/vfw-builds-coalition-to-supportstudent.html. 

Westat. National Survey of Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, Demobilized 

National Guard and Reserve Members, Family Members, and Surviving Spouses. 

Final Report, Rockville, MD: Westat, 2010. Retrieved from http://http://www.va.gov/ 

vetdata/docs/SurveysAndStudies/NVSSurveyFinalWeightedReport.pdf. 

Æ 

VACREP180 with DISTILLER