In a tough market, veterans see education as one route to employment

The sluggish economy, a cut in active duty forces through programs like the Navy’s Enlisted Retention Boards and the drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have made it necessary for veterans of all ages to go back to school.

But it can be complicated. The transition from military to civilian life can be difficult. Add college to the mix and it becomes even harder for some.

“I joined the Army in 2005. I got out in 2006 after an injury,” said Michael Thom, who is a student at Skagit Valley College’s Mount Vernon campus. “When I got out, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I’d planned on being in the military for 20 years.”

With the increase in the number of veterans on campus, many of whom have a story similar to Thom’s, colleges are looking to make their campuses more “veteran friendly.” Like colleges all over the country, both the Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses of Skagit Valley College have seen an increase in the number of veterans taking classes.

“We have about 400 to 450 veterans who are currently receiving benefits (between the two campuses),” said Dave Paul, SVC Dean of Students. “On the whole, our veteran students are a lot like our other students, but then we have a strong non-traditional student population.”

“The bulk of our student veterans are in their mid 20s to their mid 30s, but we have begun to see a significant influx of people between 35 and 60,” said Jim Heggie, Veterans Education Coordinator for the Mount Vernon campus. “We cover the full spectrum.”

Smoothing the way

Heggie said the increase in older students is probably because of the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, which is aimed at older, unemployed veterans. The post 9/11 GI Bill has also helped many veterans pay for college courses and has  contributed to more veterans going back to school after completing their service.

The paperwork required of veterans in order for them to get their benefits is what Veterans Services Coordinator at SVC Whidbey Island, Clyde Mann, feels is the most frustrating thing for the students he sees.

“We try to make the process as seamless and smooth as possible for our veteran population,” he said, adding that SVC will have a new state funded position this fall, which means there will be a staff member on campus strictly there to help veterans work through the process.

“I think this will be a great positive influence for veterans,” Mann said. “He’ll be available as an additional resource.”

Lorin Koehler, who enlisted in the Navy and served 20 years, has been out of the military for 15 years. He said it’s been a struggle to find something he can do that builds on the skills he learned in the military. He heads back to school this fall under the VRAP program.

“I was told I’d be taught something that I could use after the military. That hasn’t happened,” he said. Koehler said he wasn’t a great student in high school, but has high hopes going back to school as an adult will be better.

“I’m scared, but I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Making connections

One thing that’s helped, said Koehler, is being able to connect with other veterans. Heath Coulter and Shannon Walsh are both retired after 20 years in the Navy. They both attend SVC in Oak Harbor and work in the veterans services office.

“Going back to school is harder for guys who have been out for a while,” acknowledged Coulter. “I was a police officer in the military and wanted to go into something I would enjoy doing. That’s why I’m in school.”

“It’s been more taxing than I thought it would be,” said Walsh, who plans to get a general transfer degree in hospitality management. “It’s hard to get back into doing homework and taking care of the house.”

That’s where being able to share common ground with other veterans comes into play.

At a symposium held on the Whidbey Island campus in May, Dr. Peter Schmidt, project director of the Veterans Training Support Center, Center for Learning Connections at Edmonds Community College, stressed the importance of establishing some kind of support group to help veterans make those needed connections.

“It’s all about relationships,” he said. “It’s about letting veterans tell their story and have a voice.”

Thom, after being in school for two weeks, went into the SVC administrative office and inquired about a veterans club. When he was told there wasn’t any, he started one.

“The social aspect is probably one of the hardest things about going back to school,” Thom said. “You’re dealing with adults to running start students alike who have no idea about the military and you’re dealing with faculty who don’t understand if you have a traumatic brain injury. With other veterans, you have that shared experience of basic training, deployments and all the different aspects of the military.”

“Anyone who’s been in the military knows the value of a team, of a group,” said Veterans Club president Will Prouty. “This club’s been supportive for me, like a family.”

“Even when I’m down and out and don’t feel like doing something, the club will push me to better myself,” Thom said. “There’s a military slogan ‘No man left behind.’ I know my fellow club members will be there to support me.”

Raising awareness

Prouty and Thom say they both feel the veteran’s club can help make the college experience a positive one for veterans. The group plans at least one major activity each quarter and hopes to one day be able to provide educational programs for other students and faculty to help raise awareness of some of the issues veterans might have to deal with, such as traumatic brain injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Coordinating programs for faculty and staff is something SVC wants to do, but it takes money the college simply doesn’t have, said Heggie.

“We’re working on it but the resources for that sort of thing is something we don’t have,” he said. “Right now our time is pretty much taken up just keeping everyone in school and coping with benefits, changes in benefits, making sure veterans are getting them and keeping them up to date.”

Schmidt and Heggie said there needs to be more help during that transition from