Student Veterans of America
Student Veterans of America (SVA), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on addressing the needs and concerns of American military veterans in higher education. SVA is best known for being an umbrella organization for student veterans' groups that advocates for improvements in veterans educational benefits. Its efforts, combined with other veterans' service organizations, led to passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), a lead sponsor of the legislation, has cited SVA's efforts as one of the primary reasons the new G.I. Bill was signed into law on June 30, 2008.[1]
Abbreviation
SVA
2008
"Through a network of more than 1,500 chapters, SVA has been inspiring tomorrow's leaders since 2008 to ensure they achieve their greatest potential."
Jared Lyon
History[edit]
SVA’s Predecessors[edit]
Before the end of World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, otherwise known as the G.I. Bill of Rights.[8] After demobilizing, returning veterans flooded colleges and universities around the country. Not only did these student veterans face basic challenges associated with reintegrating into civilian life, but schools were unprepared for this influx of students, which led to additional problems for veterans like severe housing shortages and lack of transitional assistance. Student veterans banded together, forming peer-to-peer support networks to overcome these challenges and earn their college degrees.
Through the '70s, '80s and '90s, veterans continued to transition to campus following their military service, albeit in smaller numbers. The revised Montgomery G.I. Bill was offered as a recruitment incentive for the all-volunteer force. Some of the local student veteran groups that formed on campuses after conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, like those at Northern Illinois University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, still exist today.
SVA’s Genesis – The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill[edit]
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. launched Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Iraq). As OEF and OIF veterans returned home to use G.I. Bill benefits, they found that their campuses did not provide adequate support services to assist student veterans as they worked towards their educational goals.
Lacking support, student veterans decided to organize on campuses across the country. These groups began to connect with one another through social media - spreading best practices, sharing success stories, and supporting fellow chapters to further strengthen the student veteran community. In 2008, members from roughly 20 schools convened in Chicago to formalize this grassroots movement and found Student Veterans of America.
SVA was officially incorporated between the 18th and 20 January 2008 to provide programs, resources, and support to the ever-evolving network of local student veteran organizations—today known as SVA chapters.
Concurrently, SVA and a number of Veteran Service Organizations were tirelessly advocating for an overhaul of the G.I. Bill to address the needs of the 21st Century student veteran. Six months after SVA's founding, President George W. Bush signed into law the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
SVA programs and initiatives fall under these categories:
Support Students[edit]
The heart of SVA is the student-led chapter. SVA supports a network of over 1,500 schools and over 750,000 student veterans. At the individual level, SVA empowers veterans to be informed consumers of higher education and make the most of the transition to civilian life.
Train Tomorrow's Leaders[edit]
Every year, SVA hosts Regional Summits and the Leadership Institute, a highly-selective colloquium of SVA's best students. The sessions offer chapter management, budgeting, and strategic planning skills.
Protect the G.I. Bill[edit]
SVA is a guardian and steward of both the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill and Forever G.I. Bill, and SVA founders had an important part in the bill's genesis. SVA's Government Affairs team advises lawmakers and advocates in eight issue areas such as student debt and STEM fields.
Conduct Groundbreaking Research[edit]
The initial Million Records Project (MRP) offered facts to policymakers, service providers, colleges, and the public. SVA has launched two new research initiatives: The National Veteran Education Success Tracker (NVEST) adds education levels, majors and completion rates of Bill recipients and The SVA Spotlight survey provides annual demographic insights.
Plan the SVA Annual National Conference[edit]
The SVA National Conference is the nation's largest annual gathering of student veterans.
The 14th NatCon was held in Orlando, Florida on January 7–9, 2022. The Student Veteran of the Year was awarded to Katherine Martinez from Old Dominion University. The SVA Chapter of the Year was awarded to Georgetown University.
The 15th annual NatCon was held again in Orlando, Florida on January 5-7, 2023. The Student Veteran of the Year was awarded to Josh Jones from Loyola University. The SVA Chapter of the Year was awarded to the University of South Carolina.
The 16th annual NatCon will be held in Nashville, Tennessee with the date to be announced.
Develop Sustainable Support[edit]
SVA's development team builds corporate partnerships that fund student-veteran success.
Board of directors[edit]
The SVA Board of Directors has ten members.[9] The current board leadership is as follows.
Pamela Erickson, Board Chair. Pamela Erickson is vice president of Global Branding and Corporate Citizenship for Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX). Raytheon Technologies, with 2017 sales of $25.3 billion and 64,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions throughout the world.
Chris Cortez, Vice Chair. Chris Cortez is Vice President of Military Affairs at Microsoft, a position focused on providing IT career opportunities to transitioning U.S. military members and veterans. In this role he oversees the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy designed to prepare transitioning military personnel for jobs in the IT industry, works closely with Microsoft's military recruiting team, and is an advocate for Microsoft employees who have served in the military.
Board of Advisors[edit]
The SVA Board of Advisors has twelve members.[10] The current board leadership is as follows.
Geoffrey J. Deutsch, Chair. Geoff Deutsch has spent nearly 25 years helping transform large systems for delivering healthcare and human services. Geoff began his career as a "turnaround” executive with international hospital systems, managed care companies and health technology firms, where he established a record of rapid, breakthrough performance improvements. His introduction to the nonprofit sector came when Elizabeth Dole hired him in to help transform the American Red Cross. As a volunteer, Geoff has supported the Presidents and Boards of several national charities, with a focus on applying business principles to the nonprofit sector.