When service members finish their time in the military, they have to learn how to adjust to civilian life.
And for some that means hitting the books and tightening the backpack straps.
Toni Gay, a veteran of the Coast Guard, is one of the millions of veterans who have taken advantage of military educational incentives, like the G.I. Bill, to continue their education. The G.I. Bill is a military program that helps veterans to pay for tuition, books, and housing for their education, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran affairs.
A study from the US Accountability Office showed that in 2014 alone, Virginia provided $10.8 billion in benefits through the G.I. program. In this past year, the national student debt reached more than $1 trillion but the G.I. Bill has helped veterans start their new lives, and finish their education, almost debt-free.
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The money from the program goes into helping veterans find new careers and continue their education, Gay said.
But going back to school isn’t as easy for a veteran as it might be for the typical freshman on a college campus.
For Gay the experience was jarring at first, especially because she had been involved in educational programs during her service that were far different.
“I found it really isolating for me,” Gay said. “I was surrounded by a lot of nice people and people who wanted to be helpful, but they didn’t really know some of the things I had gone through.”
Gay is getting her doctorate of education from William & Mary and when she first started, she said the programs for veteran students weren’t as robust as they are now. But having that network of commonality between peers is something that can change a student veteran’s experience.
But the military experience can also provide a helpful set of skills that other students might not have, Gay said. Gay’s 25 years in the service provided her with the ability to learn different leadership, problem-solving and social skills.
Gay spent a lot of time working in military journalism and photography as well as traveling and eventually becoming an O5, or commander, in the Coast Guard. These are tools she took to the classroom when she came back to student life.
Editor’s note: A version of this story was originally published in November 2018
