We can’t talk about Student Recruitment without talking about the Covid Pandemic. It seems like we can’t talk about anything without Covid poking its nose in because we’ve all been affected by it personally and professionally.
No industry, Higher Education included, is exempt from that unfortunate reality. We’ve seen students decide to take a gap year after high school to see how this pandemic plays out. We’ve seen students decide not to return to campus and continue their education from home. We’ve seen schools slash their marketing and recruitment budgets out of necessity.
Schools cutting their budgets has made it more difficult than ever to keep enrollment numbers up and keep their institutions thriving. The good news is, we can help schools reach the veteran audience and increase enrollment.
Highlighting Your School's Benefits To Boost Student Enrollment
Students want to have a fulfilling college experience. Part of that is the life students have outside of the classroom. People are starved for some sense of, “normal.” Letting potential students know they can get a “normal” college experience can be a huge selling point.
Thankfully, a number of campuses are open to students, and if your school is one of those, make it known. Highlight all of the clubs and organizations that are still meeting and hosting events. And to reach veteran students, it’s especially important to include organizations and resources specific to veterans in your marketing materials.
Why You Should Target Veterans Now More Than Ever
Many schools are still choosing to remain 100% remote and others are doing an in-person/remote hybrid. Either way, a large percentage of students are not attending classes in person. With a year of remote-learning under our belts, the terrain isn’t new, but it’s still rocky. Many students who had planned on continuing their education put those plans on hold because the future is so uncertain.
But when it comes to students from the military community, online school is certainly appealing. It’s known that some service members enlisted not only because they want to serve their country, but because they also want to capitalize on the GI Bill. They wany to use their military benefits to pursue their higher-education.
Because when transitioning to the civilian sector many of those individuals already have families, jobs lined-up, etc, they were always planning on doing so online.
One thing that can be overlooked by many when returning to campus is that even though there are new rules and regulations put in place in regard to COVID, we are still dealing with college-aged students, so enforcing those rules may be more difficult than anticipated. Another added benefit of increasing your veteran student population is you know that you’re getting individuals who come from a background riddled with strict rules and procedures and they are accustomed to following them.
How VIQTORY Can Help You With Your Student Recruitment
The military community is clearly one of the top demographics schools should be targeting during this pandemic not only because the interest is there, not just because many of them come with money from the GI Bill, and not only because they are highly trained and highly qualified, but because we can help you stretch your limited marketing budgets and, in-turn, help boost your enrollment numbers, regardless of the current state of things. And not only will we get your message in front of this ideal audience, but we have exclusive events designed to bring potential students directly to you with resumes in-hand. Want to learn more?
