East Greenwich, RI (November 11, 2019) - As the nation celebrates Veterans Day, colleges and universities need to turn their attention to on-campus housing for military veterans seeking to resume their education, according to a recent study.
The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and Corvias, which partners with higher education and government institutions to solve their most essential systemic problems, conducted a survey that showed a surprising lack of on-campus housing for military veterans.
NACUBO reached out to 730 institutions and asked whether they had housing on campus for military veterans and whether they intended to increase it. A total of 131 colleges and universities responded to the survey.
Of those responding, 95% said they did not have on-campus housing for military veterans. Just 5% said they did. The numbers were even worse when asked about building plans – 97% said they had no plans to expand military veteran housing, while just 3% (a total of four schools) said they did. Of those four schools who said they planned to expand housing, only two had plans to build in the next two years. The other two schools said they did not yet have plans or a timetable for construction.
“There is clearly a need for more on-campus housing for our brave military veterans who are returning home from service, looking to resume their college education,” said John Picerne, Founder of Corvias. “Many of them have spouses and families and can’t be expected to move into the typical college residence hall, nor are they able to afford the expense of an off-campus apartment. On-campus housing for our veterans and their families could be more of a priority among college and university officials. And while reduced funding, competing priorities and higher expenses present constraints, we provide customized, proven solutions that enable long-term visions to be realized, without increasing risk or debt.” Corvias is a national partner of universities, including the first-ever system-wide partnership with University System of Georgia across its nine campuses.
Higher education institutions can better serve this growing population through existing military-focused programming and through increased opportunities for military-affiliated housing options on campus. Military-affiliated students (veterans, service members, or military spouses and children) have access to significant higher education benefits through the GI Bill and related programs (referred to as Chapter 33, 34, and 35), including approximately $25,000 per year in benefits to attend a higher education institution and between $1,800 to $2,700 per month in housing benefits, depending on location.
About NACUBO
The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) is a membership organization representing more than 1,900 colleges and universities across the country. The association's mission is to advance the economic vitality, business practices, and support of higher education institutions in pursuit of their missions.
About Corvias
As a privately-owned company headquartered in East Greenwich, RI, Corvias partners with higher education and government institutions nationwide to solve their most essential systemic problems and create long-term, sustainable value through our unique approach to partnership. Corvias pursues the kinds of partnerships that materially and sustainably improve the quality of life for the people who call our communities home, purposefully choosing to partner with organizations who share our values and whose mission is to serve as the foundational blocks, or pillars, of our nation. To learn more, please visit: www.corvias.com.
Media Contact:
Kelly Douglas, Corvias
813-513-9650
kelly.douglas@corvias.com