Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE): Implementing a sustainable peer support program for student veterans on college campuses

Abstract

Student veterans have been attending college in greater numbers since the passing of the Post/9-11 GI Bill. Although similar to other nontraditional students, student veterans face unique transition challenges that can affect their pursuit of higher education. Many student veterans could benefit from dedicated programs to help them succeed in college, which in turn would enable them to secure employment in the civilian world. Facilitating the success of student veterans also makes wise use of the financial and institutional resources invested in their education. Peer support programs can help by providing an established community of other student veterans who can normalize transition experiences, offer social support, reduce stigma associated with help-seeking, and connect to useful services on and off campus. This paper describes the iterative development of a nationwide peer support program for student veterans, Peer Advisors for Education (PAVE), which uses trained peers to provide outreach, support, and linkage to resources to assist student veterans. Through a hybrid technology platform for training and program management, PAVE has been delivered on 40 college campuses nationwide and is well-positioned for larger scale national rollout.

Student Veteran Experiences in a Transition Seminar Course: Exploring the Thriving Transition Cycle

“…This study begins to fill the gap in literature highlighted by Barry et al (2014), who noted the need for current evidence-based research on the higher education experiences of student veterans. The themes from the focus groups support the supposition that student veterans benefit from opportunities to normalize their unique struggles and to develop effective academic and personal strategies that translate to meeting their educational and career goals (Bissell, 2015;Blackwell-Starnes, 2018;Burnett & Segura, 2009;Callahan & Jarrat, 2014;Coll & Weiss, 2015;Kappell et al, 2017;Kees et al, 2017;O'Herrin, 2011;Schiavone & Gentry, 2014). These findings can be of value for veteran service offices, as well as other campus-based support services, designed to ensure student veterans begin their college transition in a positive and productive manner.…”

“…The Peer Advising for Veteran Education (PAVE) program developed at the University of Michigan and disseminated to 40 partner universities is a current model for promoting future success among student veterans (Kees et al, 2017). PAVE relies on an optout peer advising model providing first-year student veterans with an upperclassman peer advisor from their academic major to provide outreach, support, and resource linkage.…”

“…This holistic single-case study focuses on the experiences of student veterans in the course to further understand the transition of this population using the Thriving Transition Cycle (Harris, Myhill, & Walker, 2012), as well as the ways in which higher education institutions can support the success of new student veterans. This research was sponsored in part by a JPMorgan Chase & Company grant entitled Building Resilience and Success: Holistic Student Veteran Support. and alumni for mentorship; providing veteran-specific programming through new student orientations and transition courses; and educating faculty and staff about military culture (Bissell, 2015;Blackwell-Starnes, 2018;Kappell, Boersma, DeVita, & Parker, 2017;Kees, Risk, Meadowbrooke, Nellett, & Spinner, 2017;McMenamin & Kurzynski, 2016;Whiteman, Barry, Mroczek, & MacDermid Wadsworth, 2013;Witkowsky et al, 2016).…”

Depicting the Ecosystems of Support and Financial Sustainability for Five College Promise Populations

“…In addition to providing a specific space on campus for student veterans to congregate, meet with advisors, and gain access to resources throughout the institution and community, the implementation of peer support programs can provide a network of other student veterans who can assist with the transition to higher education. By connecting student veterans to a community of other veterans who have navigated similar experiences at the institution, student veteran peer programs “harness strengths inherent to the military ethos, including camaraderie, the buddy system, structure, and a sense of belonging” (Kees et al, 2017, p. 31). One such example is Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE), a nationwide peer support program in partnership with Student Veterans of America, which uses trained student veterans on campus to provide outreach, support, and resources for incoming student veterans through one‐on‐one mentorship and advising.…”

“…One such example is Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE), a nationwide peer support program in partnership with Student Veterans of America, which uses trained student veterans on campus to provide outreach, support, and resources for incoming student veterans through one‐on‐one mentorship and advising. PAVE has been implemented on 37 campuses across the country and works to provide a welcoming community and access to information and resources to assist student veterans through the transition to academic life (Kees et al, 2017). Colleges and universities seeking to establish student veteran support organizations, in addition to PAVE, might also leverage Student Veterans of America resources in that regard (Student Veterans of America, n.d.).…”