Monday, January 26, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET

Scaffold Services From Admission to Graduation

Veterans and military-affiliated students need your support more than ever – from their application/acceptance through to their graduation. Equip your frontline faculty and staff with the resources they need to be advocates and help champion them every step of their educational journey.

Join us on January 26, 2026 when our expert presenters will share the support strategies and initiatives most needed to help military-affiliated students succeed inside and outside of the classroom. They will explore strategies for transitioning from military roles to student roles, academic skill development, navigating benefits from Veterans Affairs, connecting with peers and faculty, and finding purpose outside of their military roles.

From institutional philosophy, transition and ongoing programs, collaboration with campus and community partners, and graduation – ensure your focus is on the accomplishments of your veterans and military-affiliated students in the ways that will help them succeed.  

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Overcome barriers to developing an engaging learning experience for military-connected students.
• Educate support staff on military-benefits and how students can prevent delays in payment, and establish policies that are not punitive due to lack of payment.  
• Ensure your support programs for military connected students are applicable, timely, and relevant to their unique and diverse needs through systematic asset-based initiatives and intentional partnerships.
• Establish a welcoming and supportive atmosphere that successfully transitions military-affiliated students to your campus, enables them to adapt to the academic environment, engage in the campus community, and persist through graduation.
• Develop next steps to create or modify your current programs/resources to better meet the needs of your military-connected community.
• Equip those frontline faculty and staff members who interface with veteran and military-connected students regularly with the resources they need to understand the unique needs of the military culture and make appropriate referrals.
• Create proactive outreach initiatives to aid in support and intervention services before they fail or withdraw. 
  

Presenters

Stephanie Ganser is currently serving as the Director of Student Engagement in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) overseeing support for medical and graduate students through programming and events, communication, and advocacy. She has significant background working with military-affiliated students.
Click here for full bio.

Shannon Miles serves as the Associate Director in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Shannon works closely with the Office of Military Affairs to ensure that military-affiliated students receive high-quality, well-coordinated support.
Click here for full bio.