Tag: Andy Bender

For many military Veterans, the transition from active service to college life can be as challenging as any mission they faced in uniform.

The loss of structure, leadership and a clearly defined sense of purpose often coincides with the demands of navigating an unfamiliar university system, balancing family and financial responsibilities and determining a new professional direction.

A new initiative at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to ease that transition.

The Veteran Residential Transition Program, or VRTP, housed at the Chez Veterans Center, was created to support Veterans as they move from military service into higher education. The program combines housing assistance, individualized case management, career development and academic support to help student Veterans establish stability and build a path toward long-term success.

“Success isn’t about how students use a program; it’s about how they move forward over time,” said Ingrid Wheeler, associate director of student success and wellbeing at the Chez Veterans Center.

Wheeler said many Veterans arrive on campus highly capable but suddenly without the structure that guided their military experience.

“In the military, individuals operate within a highly structured system with clear leadership, direction and shared purpose,” she said. “When they leave, that system is gone almost overnight. Even highly capable people can suddenly find themselves without a clear sense of direction or support.”

Rather than focusing solely on services or engagement activities, VRTP was designed to help rebuild the conditions that allow Veterans to make meaningful progress toward goals they define for themselves.

The program emphasizes early stability through housing and structured support, while connecting students with individualized guidance and campus resources. At the center of the model are case managers, who work one-on-one with participants throughout their transition.

“Case managers play a central role,” Wheeler said. “They provide a form of transitional leadership, helping students make sense of their situation, identify next steps and connect to the right supports at the right time.”

The goal, she added, is not to create dependence on the program but to help students regain confidence and independence.

“The goal isn’t to keep students connected to VRTP,” Wheeler said. “It’s to help them regain structure, find direction and move forward confidently without needing us.”

A key component of the program is the Individualized Transition Plan, which helps students identify priorities, set goals and assess their progress. Unlike a traditional roadmap, however, the plan is designed to evolve as students’ needs and aspirations change.

“We expect it to change, and when it does, that’s often a sign that progress is happening,” Wheeler said.

Case managers use the plans as a framework for ongoing conversations, helping students evaluate challenges and opportunities as they arise. Progress is measured through multiple indicators, including academic performance, personal stability, career development and tools such as the Military Transition Scale, developed by Health and Kinesiology Associate Professor Chung-Yi Chiu.

To develop the scale, Chiu conducted interviews with 16 student veterans to better understand their experiences transitioning from military service to higher education. Based on these interviews, she created the Military Transition Scale and collaborated with Dustin Lange, assistant director of the Chez Veterans Center, along with several student Veterans, to ensure the items were meaningful, relevant and easy to understand. Additional data collection was conducted to validate the scale across the nation. Michael Lotspeich-Yadao, assistant director of research and evaluation at Chez, has assisted in survey data collection.

Chiu said the Military Transition Scale evaluates several dimensions of transition experiences, needs and challenges, including motivation; career trajectory; social networking and support system; effective study skills; benefits of military service; self-awareness; existing and future resources; barriers, personal strength, and coping; and attitude toward veterans. These dimensions highlight the complex and multidimensional nature of the transition process.

Chez uses the scale to assess how well student veterans have adapted to higher education while balancing new academic roles with existing personal and family responsibilities, Chiu said. Based on the results, case managers can identify needs and connect student veterans with appropriate resources and services. Because transition is dynamic and changes over time, the scale can also be administered periodically to monitor progress and adjust support accordingly. The goal of the Military Transition Scale is not simply to identify challenges, but to help student Veterans thrive and successfully integrate their military experiences into meaningful academic and civilian lives.

Rather than focusing solely on graduation rates or retention statistics, Wheeler said the program emphasizes what she calls “trajectory”—the direction and quality of a student’s progress over time.

“Traditional metrics tell you where someone ended,” she said. “Trajectory tells you what it took to get there and whether it will sustain.”

One student’s experience illustrates the approach.

A Veteran enrolled in VRTP entered the university uncertain about academic and career goals. While taking a career development course designed for military-connected students, it became apparent that the student’s aspirations differed from more conventional career pathways. A theater major interested in costume design for theater and film productions, the student needed support tailored to a creative profession.

Program staff responded by connecting the student with industry professionals, including leaders at Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul, Illinois, and an Illinois alumnus working in the field. The student received individualized coaching to develop a professional resume and online portfolio showcasing costume design and theater work.

The result, Lange said, was far more significant than a potential internship opportunity.

“The most significant outcome was not simply the possibility of an internship or future employment opportunity,” he said. “It was the transformation from uncertainty and limited career direction to a clear professional pathway supported by industry connections, mentorship and a growing sense of confidence.”

The program also recognizes that practical concerns and personal growth are deeply interconnected.

“We don’t treat those as separate things,” Wheeler said. “You can’t think about purpose when you’re just trying to stay stable.”

By addressing housing, finances and other basic needs first, the program creates conditions that allow students to focus on larger questions about identity, career direction and life after military service.

Creating a sense of belonging is another priority. Wheeler said VRTP encourages connections among Veterans while also helping students build relationships across the broader university community.

“Our goal isn’t to be the one place students belong,” she said. “It’s to help them build belonging across the places where their lives actually happen.”

To achieve that, the Chez Veterans Center works with academic units, campus offices and community partners to ensure Veterans encounter supportive environments throughout campus and beyond.

“Students don’t need one place to belong,” Wheeler said. “They need to feel like they belong in their classes, their workplaces and their broader lives.”

As the program continues to grow, Wheeler said future expansion efforts would focus on strengthening the elements that have proven most effective: reaching students earlier, increasing access to stable housing and improving coordination among academic, career and health services.

“Growth only matters if it preserves what makes the model work,” she said.

Ultimately, Wheeler said, the program’s mission remains straightforward.

“The goal is simple,” she said. “Help more students move forward, without losing the quality and timing of support that makes that possible.”

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