U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter will deliver opening remarks at a one day symposium: “Veterans' Success at Institutions of Higher Education: A Convening on Best Practices,” Wed., Aug. 1, at 9 a.m., ET in the U.S. Department of Education Barnard Auditorium in Washington, D.C. The program, which will focus on developing a set of best practices to promote veterans’ success on America's campuses, including progression to a degree, advances the President's ongoing commitment to service members, veterans and their families.
Kanter will discuss the importance of helping veterans succeed in college and enter the workforce, enabling a quality transition back to civilian life. She will also discuss the Administration’s goal for America to be first in the world in college graduates by 2020 and initiatives that states and institutions could take to boost completion. The Administration has been committed to improving service members' transition from military life to civilian life by fostering educational opportunities and career and workforce readiness.
The convening will bring together representatives from the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Security Staff, as well as representatives of 15 of the Department’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grantees who received funding in 2010 to develop or improve Vet Centers of Excellence on their campuses. The Centers of Excellence funding helps model programs that support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical and social needs of veteran students. Other campuses and organizations involved in serving veteran students have also been invited to participate.