American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission chairman helps welcome thousands to Colorado Springs
American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Jay Bowen expressed pride Thursday about Student Veterans of America, which has grown to more than 1,600 chapters on campuses in all 50 states and four countries overseas over the last 17 years.
In 2008, when the SVA was formed, The American Legion provided free office space for the fledgling group at its National Headquarters building on K Street in Washington, D.C. Soon, the SVA was on a trajectory of growth to more than 700,000 members, influence on Capitol Hill and unparalleled peer-to-peer support that extends far beyond education needs for tens of thousands of post-9/11 veterans.
“We were there when you first started,” Bowen told about 2,000 SVA members at the Broadmoor Hotel Resort Convention Center in Colorado Springs. “We have been proud partners with the SVA since that time.”
Over the years, the Legion and other veterans service organizations have worked in Washington with SVA to improve the education and employment landscape for those who have served in uniform. As chapters have sprung up across the map, many have made local connections with Legion posts and departments, and the students have followed in the footsteps of their elder veterans organizations, providing relief work in communities devastated by natural disasters, fighting for human rights in foreign nations, establishing food pantries where needed and more. “Each chapter, each individual, adds a unique thread to the larger story, one defined by resilience and by service,” SVA President and CEO Jared Lyon told the crowd. “That’s what I believe defines the American veteran.”
“You are leaders in your community,” Bowen told attendees. “You are leaders today. And you are future leaders. And the only way that you can do your job well and be proficient in what you do is by continuing your education. We get that.”
The opening session of the conference presented an opportunity for Lyon, an American Legion member and regular speaker at national conventions, to announce that SVA has “officially moved into a new national headquarters at 655 15th Street NW in Washington D.C., located directly next to the White House. This space is not just an office. It is your home in the nation’s capital.”
Bowen told the student veterans that the Legion strongly supports them and their growth, most emphatically the pursuit of education and careers that were pioneered as government benefits due to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the original GI Bill that The American Legion drafted and pushed to passage. Multiple changes and improvements to the measure have been made since the Post 9/11 GI Bill was passed the same year the SVA was formed, and the Legion has supported efforts to make it more effective for the newest generations.
“We are very proud of our association, our relationship, our partnership with the SVA, and we are proud to say we plan to continue that relationship from now to forever,” Bowen said.
Lyon explained that the association has been guided all the way by a founding vision to leave the world that post-9/11 veterans served better off. “Since our founding in 2008, SVA has grown from a handful of student veteran organizations into a nationwide network and a force for good.”
He explained that each chapter reflects another founding vision to “serve all who have served, regardless of background, identity, age or branch. No matter who you love, how you worship or you don’t, where you were born, no matter the obstacles that you faced, or what path led you here, SVA is your community. Our diversity, our shared oath and the bonds we forged in service unite us.”
He shared with SVA members that the national organization works hard in Washington on their behalf, including advocating in 2024 “to increase the Post 9/11 GI bill – the book stipend – specifically to ease the financial burden of higher education.” He added that SVA has also fought for the ability to allow certain qualified veterans to use Montgomery GI Bill benefits as well as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, up to the 48-month cap. “We are hopeful for this update before the end of the Biden administration,” he said.
The SVA also lobbied alongside The American Legion and other VSOs for passage of the Sen. Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act “which expands financial support, modernizes VA communications and enhances educational assistance for veterans nationwide,” Lyon told the crowd.
Donor partners have been essential to SVA’s National Academic Advising Center and its Career Center, in addition to sponsorship of national conferences and other advancements. “These partnerships aren’t just about funding,” Lyon said. “They are about believing in the potential of student veterans and ensuring they have what they need to succeed on campus and beyond. These victories – they don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen because of you. You are proof that veterans don’t just transition; we transform. We bring leadership to the classroom, determination to the workplace and service to our communities.”
Many hurdles have yet to be cleared for student veterans, the CEO added. “Education costs continue to rise. Mental health needs often go unmet. Career services are still lacking for veterans who need to work while pursuing their degrees. Childcare still is insufficient. Access to quality and timely health care is still a challenge. And too many transitioning servicemembers still feel isolated when they step onto a college campus for the first time.”
SVA gives those veterans a place to turn when they have questions or need a fellow veteran listen to their concerns. To better understand the needs of today’s student veterans, Lyon also announced Thursday that an SVA Basic Needs Survey is now in market to identify core challenges faced by members.
“Success in higher education isn’t just about the grades,” Lyon said. “It’s about stable housing, reliable childcare, meaningful employment, a sense of belonging, and access to health care.”
He encouraged conference attendees to fill out the online survey so SVA can “advocate more effectively on behalf of student veterans. This is our chance to bring hidden issues into the light, ensuring that nobody has to choose between buying textbooks and putting food on the table.”
He also urged attendees to take in a Veterans Assistance Expo at the conference to learn about their VA disability benefits. Younger veterans have not filed for VA benefits at the rate of others who have served, perhaps because of stigma or lack of awareness, Lyon said. “It’s not about a handout. It’s about the support that you already earned through military service.”
Attendees were reminded to join as many breakout sessions, panel discussions and networking activities as possible in Colorado Springs, where they can learn about career paths, scholarships, resources and best practices. “Connections can turn into careers.”
The Navy veteran who has propelled SVA in recent years added that 2025 is bound to have its own exciting developments, guided by the vision of its founders.
“Each of us has a role in providing the next chapter of SVA’s story,” Lyon said. “I know that it will be a chapter defined by determination, courage and commitment to leaving the world better than we found it.”
- Education