This article was published in HigherEdMilitary.com. Article link can be found below article.

It can sometimes be difficult to navigate the world of resources for student veterans and their families. There are many available, and they all focus on different aspects of the student veteran life cycle. PreVeteran, a resource dedicated to serving military members transitioning out of the military long-term, has recently unveiled their new program specifically aimed at assisting those in higher education to better understand their student veterans, as well as help student veterans learn about their strengths and weaknesses to keep them engaged on campus. Although PreVeteran also has individual and corporate trainings, this article will only focus on their up-and-coming Higher Education Training.

Who Created PreVeteran?

The CEO of PreVeteran, Jason Anderson, served in the Air Force for 20 years. When he transitioned out of the service and into the corporate world, he was met with challenges that left him feeling unprepared for the civilian world. To close these knowledge gaps, Jason chose to change the system himself and pursue PreVeteran as a side hustle. Aaron Ingram, the director of operations at PreVeteran, also endorsed that the change from military life to the civilian world was overwhelming and daunting as a former Navy Pilot. However, he was able to utilize the resources offered by PreVeteran and was able to land a job in commercial real estate. He now works in the student experience and operation side of PreVeteran trainings.

What is PreVeteran’s Mission?

According to Jason and Aaron, the primary mission of PreVeteran is to help student veterans regain their autonomy following their transition from the active-duty lifestyle. There are several differences between the military and civilian realms, and it can be tough to overcome some obstacles presented in the civilian world when individuals have been taught one way for so long. PreVeteran aims to overcome many challenges that future veterans may experience by stepping in before they transition out of the military. As military members begin their transition out of the military, their workload triples as the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) begins, lasting for 12 months prior to their official departure, making it more difficult to focus their attention on honing their skills to apply to institutions of higher education.

Their individual training model intends to reach veterans 1-3 years prior to their transition into the civilian world to prepare them for what is to come. Then PreVeteran continues to work with these individuals over time to ensure their success. In contrast to other resources available, PreVeteran’s ability to follow a student over a period of years rather than a couple of weeks can make quite the difference for student veteran success.

What Can PreVeteran Do for My Campus?

Student veterans face unique responsibilities and challenges when compared to traditional college students. Consequently, this can result in poor persistence and lower graduation rates among student veterans.

PreVeteran’s higher education training addresses both sides of the equation — the individual student veteran and the military talent team supporting a campus’ entire student veteran community. For the individual student veteran, PreVeteran has a 5-week course held every February, June, and October, that fully supports the student veteran in preparing for their military transition, which includes how to fully leverage their VA educational benefits. They also have training that helps higher education professionals better understand the barriers that military-affiliated individuals may experience when applying to and attending an institution. PreVeteran provides education professionals student veteran-specific content that helps equip student veterans with the confidence and skills they need to succeed in a degree program.

This training is ideal for universities and colleges with smaller staffs with a desire to expand and support their military-affiliated community with increased retention rates and school morale.

PreVeteran’s first higher education partner was Arizona State University, through a strong, ongoing relationship with the Pat Tillman Veterans Center. They’ve expanded their reach by working with Washington State University and are now actively piloting their program with a handful of other higher ed institutions.

How Do I Get in Touch with PreVeteran?

If you are interested in the resources that PreVeteran can provide for your campus and student veterans, you can schedule a call with Jason and his team here.

LINK TO ARTICLE