Student Veterans of America 17th National Conference

Good morning, everyone. I hope the holidays have brought joy to you and those you love.

As we close out the holiday season, my thoughts have been drawn to the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was a steadfast supporter of Veterans throughout his time in the White House. He often remarked that Navy submarine service was his life’s proudest accomplishment. But perhaps he’ll be most remembered for the hardworking humility that characterized his selfless service during, and long after, his time in uniform and in the nation’s highest office. His lifetime of servant leadership, ever rooted in his community and in his faith, stands as an inspiration to us all. May God rest his mighty soul.

Tammy [Barlet], thank you for the kind introduction. Jared [Lyon], thanks for inviting me to speak here at NatCon once again and for your continued leadership of Student Veterans of America. And J. Ford Huffman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, I’m grateful for your long-standing service to SVA and its mission. Your work together inspires great confidence in the future of this critical organization.

And you know, there are good reasons why we at VA return to NatCon year after year to meet with all of you. You are incredible advocates who provide the kind of inspiration, support, and sense of community to Veterans—to each other—that I don’t often see elsewhere. And at VA, we are deeply committed to holding ourselves accountable to this organization. Our partnership is a conversation in which we learn from you just as much as we share our own perspective. And that’s why we come here over and over again—VA and SVA serve Veterans better when we work together. And so, again, I’m happy to be back with you.

In 1946, not long from commanding the beaches of Normandy and the forests of the Ardennes, General Omar Bradley addressed a group not unlike this one. Reflecting on the GI Bill of Rights, he observed that Veterans simply make the best students. Vets are “serious-intentioned and acutely conscious that time is running by,” he said. And through military service “they’ve acquired a mature and meaningful attitude toward life,” a maturity beyond their years. He also remarked that Vets were more earnest in their work, more eager to learn, and frankly, performed better academically than their non-Veteran peers.

His words ring true today, nearly eighty years later. The proof is right here in this room, with all of you gathered here today. Through your courage and conviction, through your imagination and resourcefulness, through your initiative and leadership in the halls of academia and communities around the country, student Veterans continue to embody our nation’s greatest sense of optimism and hope.

I’m thinking of student Vets like Specialist Dani Bermudez, an Army Vet with seven years of uniformed service in the Arizona National Guard. Dani’s proud of her work in behavioral health, especially during her unit’s COVID response mission to communities across the state. And building on that experience, she’s now using her GI Bill to complete a master’s in psychology at Arizona State.

Dani’s a full-time mother, and as a mostly online student, she credits Veteran mentors and the local SVA chapter with helping her feel welcome and involved on campus. In fact, it was Veteran support staff who first introduced Dani to faculty advisors in her area of study. Today, she’s working with those same professors, researching social determinants of health to address disparities in healthcare access for military families.

I’m also thinking of student Vets like Marine aviator Ron Chino. After a career in the cockpit and in Naval Aviation training and acquisitions, Ron used both GI Bill and VR&E benefits to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music. Now the SVA chapter president at Berklee, Ron’s proud to serve as a mentor in the military-affiliated group for Vets and dependents alike.

Although he’s busy studying film score composition and songwriting—looking forward to a new career in music and academia—he’s also building a coalition to advocate for Vets within the music industry. Ron’s an inspiration to many Veterans who similarly hope to channel their art into a new professional identity. And he’s helping other Vets explore the possibilities of serving their communities in new and creative capacities.

And then there’s student Vets like Andrea Henshall. Andrea’s a combat Veteran, an Air Force special operations pilot with seven overseas tours under her belt. After a nearly fatal surgical complication led to her medical discharge, Andrea knew she had to find a way to keep serving, especially her sisters-and-brothers-in-arms. She ultimately found a new mission in defense technology research and development, and so she set her sights on the PhD program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Andrea’s now doing cutting edge work in multi-agent machine learning and sequential decision-making at MIT, and she’s only about a year and a half out from completing her dissertation on subjects I won’t even pretend to understand.

Now, I’ll come back to Andrea’s story towards the end of my remarks, but let me say that I hope many of you attended her breakout session yesterday or, if not, that you’re able to join her presentation later today. If you sit in with her, you’ll get a sense of the kind of work she’s doing in her “spare time,” work she’s doing to help Vets translate your military skills and accomplishments into language the most selective of university admissions officers can appreciate.

Vets like Dani, Ron, and Andrea are shaping our shared future for decades to come. What stands out to me about each of their stories is not only how accomplished they are, although they have undoubtedly achieved great things and will continue to do so. What stands out to me is that each of them is also dedicating their lives and careers to helping their fellow Vets. The same is true for so many of you in this audience. You’re anchored by your commitment to service over self—always looking out for one another—with an enduring sense of duty, valor, and love of country. Veterans helping Veterans, setting the highest example of what it means to be an American. There’s nothing better.

And at VA, we intend to serve Vets every bit as well as you served—and continue to serve—all of us. It reminds me of what President Biden calls our one truly sacred obligation: to prepare and equip those we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they come home. The second part of that sacred obligation is VA’s responsibility.

Today, I am proud to say that VA’s public servants are breaking all-time records—providing more care and more benefits to more Veterans than ever before—for the fourth year in a row. This year alone, VA delivered $187 billion in earned benefits to Veterans and their survivors and provided more than 131 million health care appointments—both the highest marks in our nation’s history.

But it’s not just more care. It’s better, world-class care, and it’s better health outcomes for Veterans than in the private sector.

It’s not just more benefits. It’s faster, more accessible benefits delivered by meeting Vets where you are, rather than expecting you to come to us.

And it’s not just more Vets. It’s more Vets trusting VA at rates higher than ever before.

But we still have work left to do.

In fact, many of you might have seen the press release we put out this morning about the U.S. Supreme Court case referred to as Rudisill. Josh Jacobs, VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits, will provide more details shortly, but here’s what you should know: We’ve updated how we calculate qualifying periods of military service for VA education benefits. Previously, many Veterans had to make a permanent choice to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill for a total of up to 36 months. Now, Veterans who qualify for benefits under both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill, through two separate periods of service, can use benefits from either program for a combined total of up to 48 months.

We estimate the Rudisill decision potentially impacts just over a million beneficiaries—Veterans, service members, and their eligible dependents. That’s a million Vets and family members who might qualify for additional VA education and training benefits. For about two-thirds of these individuals, including those who received an education claim decision on or after August 15th, 2018, VA will review your eligibility for education benefits automatically. That is, you don’t have to do anything.

But for the remaining one-third, those who received a decision before August 15th, 2018, VA will review your eligibility only after you submit a new claim. You can submit that claim at any time, but there is a deadline to take advantage of the additional benefits provided by the Rudisill decision. To be considered for extra time to use these benefits, you must file your claim by October 1st, 2030. Let me say that again. If you received a VA education decision before August 15th, 2018, you must file a new claim by October 1st, 2030. Now, we want to ensure you receive every benefit you’ve earned, so let me reiterate, VA will be contacting every single Veteran potentially impacted by this decision.

A second update I want to provide is about Veteran Readiness and Employment—VR&E. Over the past decade, nearly 118,000 participants have completed the VR&E program, and demand for these services only continues to grow. In fact, since the PACT Act was implemented, we’ve seen a 44% increase in Veterans participating in the program. Last year alone, participation grew by nearly 23%, and this year, we expect applications to rise by another 15%. To meet this increasing demand, we’re hiring qualified VR&E counselors as quickly as possible. Over the past two years, we’ve been able to add over 330 new counseling and specialist staff members and increased VR&E staffing by 30%. Today, the program now employs more than 1,300 counselors, and 87% of counselor and specialist positions are filled nationwide. We have more work to do. And while 87% isn’t perfect, it’s a strong step forward.

We will not rest until we get this right, until we’re ensuring every Veteran gets access to the benefits you’ve earned and deserve. It takes all of us, including college and university administrations, working together to ensure student Veterans have what you need to succeed. We owe student Vets programs that do much more than offer a chance merely to survive. We owe them the support, the spaces, and the opportunities to thrive. And we owe student Vets higher education programs that meet their unique needs holistically.

Let me come back to Andrea’s story, the Air Force combat Vet and brilliant PhD student. You see, Andrea’s quick to credit her earlier time spent at Auburn University for preparing her for a career in academia. And she’s forever grateful for the support and encouragement she received from Navy Vet and helo pilot Paul Esposito—callsign “Puck”—at Auburn’s Veteran Resource Center, their VRC.

It was within the VRC that Andrea found a supportive community that encouraged her to get involved in the student Veteran program at the university and within SVA. You see, Puck’s nine-person team at the Auburn VRC purposefully supports student Veterans in body, mind, and spirit. And they’ve built a culture holding themselves accountable to the local SVA chapter. They rely on SVA to show them where they need to better concentrate and refine their efforts.

As a result of that partnership, the Auburn VRC provides student Vets clothing lockers, food and medical resources, technology and textbook support, career connections, faculty and staff training, office space, and a student lounge. In fact, the Auburn VRC is so successful that they’re outgrowing their allocated space, and yet they’re still searching for ways to get mental health counselling services for their student Veterans within their single facility. It’s that kind of support which helped Andrea, and so many of her fellow student Vets, through some of the toughest moments they faced in school and in life.

Let me acknowledge one more outstanding program at the University of Notre Dame. I couldn’t be more pleased by the work done through Notre Dame’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs there in South Bend. They’re ensuring the university remains an employer of choice for Veterans—building a critical mass of Veterans and military-affiliated staff and faculty on campus. They’re investing in external engagement and outreach—networking with alumni and pursuing initiatives that equip student Vets with the skills and tools they need for success. They’re investing in academics and research—facilitating military history staff rides, championing military-related coursework, and even resource-sharing with the university’s ROTC programs. And of course, most importantly, they’re investing in student Veteran success—building a vibrant and inclusive Veteran community that remains part of both the university support system and the local community. Notre Dame’s student Vets are tightly knit into the university culture and they’re benefitting from a rich fabric of support from the greater South Bend community.

At Notre Dame, they’re supporting Veterans in accordance with their own institutional values. Auburn’s doing the same. These are the kinds of academic communities student Vets deserve all across the country. SVA members and chapter leaders, you’re enrolled in all types of programs and in all types of schools. Large schools and small. Programs in science and technology, in music, arts, and the humanities. On-campus, hybrid, and online. Public schools and private schools. Faith-based and not. We need your help to motivate all your colleges and universities to invest heavily in their student Veterans. Insist that your schools invest in staff, spaces, and programs that support student Vets.

Our sacred promise to Vets requires this type of deliberate institutional investment from our higher education partners. SVA, we need you to make your voices heard on this. And don’t ease the pressure you put on VA, either. Keep holding VA accountable to the Veterans we serve, and to their families, caregivers, and survivors. SVA, your voice, individually and collectively, is one that pushes VA to better fulfill our most sacred obligation to those who have served us so well. So keep the pressure on. We need you. VA needs you, Veterans need you, the nation needs you. Keep leading, advocating, and inspiring. Don’t let up for a second.

I’ll conclude with this. Near the end of his tenure as Administrator of Veterans Affairs, General Bradley reminded us that “as long as we are willing to invest in the talents of Veterans—as long as we are willing to trust the nation to their vision and their daring—we need have no fear for the future.” The Vets of the Greatest Generation made good on the nation’s investment and made their future our present. With the education benefits they earned in uniform, those World War II Vets kindled the determination, ingenuity, and courage to stoke the flames of leadership and responsibility for the entire nation. We’re still benefiting from their legacy today.

And I’m convinced that the flames of leadership and responsibility burn just as strong in this generation of Veterans—in all of you gathered here—as they did in generations past. In public or private enterprise, whether in industry, healthcare, academia, or in sectors still yet emerging—everywhere I see something important and interesting happening there are, inevitably, student Veterans involved. I have no fear for the future, for anywhere there is a challenge, I see student Vets rushing to meet it. I see all of you.

May God bless each of you with a new year full of hope, love, and a light that shines brightly as you go forth to face the challenges that await.

Thank you.