The Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), held a hearing Wednesday to examine the steps higher education institutions are taking to better support servicemembers and veterans who are working to earn a postsecondary degree or obtain valuable job training skills. As more troops return home to the U.S. from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, higher education institutions now face the largest influx of veteran students since World War II – a trend that is expected to continue.
During her opening remarks, Rep. Foxx highlighted Carolina’s work to build a network of veteran services and programs known as the UNC Partnership for National Security. Kimrey Rhinehardt, Vice President for Federal Relations at the University of North Carolina, explained the importance of implementing specific support systems for veteran students.
“Veterans are not your typical students,” said Rhinehardt. “They come to us from a highly structured, bureaucratic environment and are often uneasy with the loosely structured, bureaucratic environment of the University.”
According to Rhinehardt, centralizing information sharing using a technology-based platform to provide a virtual “one-stop-shop” for veterans will help them to more easily transition into academic life from military service.
For full witness testimony, opening statements, or to watch an archived webcast of the hearing, visit www.edworkforce.house.gov/hearings.
