Nearly 2500 student Veterans, military-connected students, their families, caregivers, survivors and other attendees from across the country made their way to Nashville Jan. 4-6 to attend the 2024 Student Veterans of America (SVA) National Conference, also known as NatCon.
NatCon brings together SVA chapters from nearly 1,600 campuses across the U.S. and several countries, and it serves as a focal point in the academic year to share ideas, best practices and networking opportunities for student Veterans, military-connected students and their families, supporters and allies—and government, corporate and nonprofit partners.
Staff from VA were on hand to support Veterans and their families throughout the event. VA’s outreach included a ‘VA alley’ at the SVA Campus Expo, representing more than 20 program offices and supported by more than 150 VA experts. The outreach was aimed at equipping student Veterans with information on the programs, benefits, services and resources available to help them succeed in their educational pursuits.
Student Veterans and their families also received personal assistance from VA staff with Applying For VA Health Care for the first time, Filing A VA Disability Claim at VBA’s Claims Clinic, or visiting VA’s Mobile Vet Center and Mobile VA Clinic.
Some 361 Veterans received one-on-one assistance at VBA’s Veterans Claims Clinic, and another 201 compensation and pension (C&P) exam scheduling requests were made. VBA regional office staff also completed 23 disability ratings on-site, in person, and processed an additional 706 disability benefits questionnaires for disability claims.
“Your mission here at SVA is to support each other far beyond the classroom, building a community that lasts a lifetime and creating impact that spans generations,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough told the attendees. “You join a long tradition of Veterans helping Veterans.”
Creating a supportive community
One of the key benefits of SVA NatCon is the opportunity for student Veterans to connect with like-minded people with shared experiences. The conference fosters a sense of community that encourages student Veterans to build relationships with peers who understand the unique challenges they face. This support network plays a vital role in their transition from military service to higher education.
“Being able to connect with and network with other student Veterans is the most valuable part of NatCon, as is working with our chapters,” said Marine Corps Veteran and Governor State University student Jonathan Cooper. “SVA chapters provide a really great peer support network on campus for students as they’re going through school or coming onto campus. They also really provide a lot of camaraderie and a community for somebody to join.”
Professional development
SVA NatCon offered a wide range of workshops, seminars and panel discussions designed to enhance the professional skills of student Veterans. These sessions covered essential skills such as resume building, interview techniques, networking strategies and entrepreneurship.
“Vets make the best students,” McDonough said. “The leadership, tenacity, creative problem solving and dedication to truth to one another that they learned on the battlefield is unrivaled in the classroom, unrivaled in public life, unrivaled in business.”
Access to resources
SVA NatCon included representatives from government agencies, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions who shared information about scholarships, financial aid, mental health support and other resources tailored to the needs of today’s student Veterans. The conference provides access to resources and services to assist student Veterans when they return home, so they have the necessary tools to overcome any obstacles they may encounter during their academic journey.
Advocacy and policy discussions
SVA NatCon also serves as a platform for student Veterans to engage in advocacy and policy discussions through breakout sessions and town hall meetings. Student Veterans had the opportunity to voice their concerns and contribute to the development of policies that directly impact their community.
Student Veterans looking to network, grow professionally or find a career opportunities will find NatCon to be great resource and should consider attending.
For more information on Student Veterans of America or to find a chapter near you, visit: Find A Chapter – Student Veterans of America.
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This is great, thank you to both VA and SVA. Question though: did anyone at the conference address address what VA will do to help the veterans studying at foreign universities who were denied their GI Bill benefits before VA finally permitted electronic processing of tuition money abroad? If anyone has any knowledge of this, I’d greatly appreciate your reply, thanks.