A new survey shows that U.S. military members and veterans who return to college often struggle to get academic credit for what they’ve learned and the skills they’ve mastered in the service.
The survey of more than 8,500 veterans found that “skills translation” was one of their top five concerns when returning to civilian life and college. For those who tried to get college credit, 64 percent said those credits fell short of what was expected. For most, this resulted in extra costs and time to earn their degrees or credentials.
Colleges and universities have enrolled 2 million student veterans since 2009. To understand the challenges they face, we partnered with American Institutes for Research for a survey, interviews, and focus groups with veterans currently or recently enrolled at U.S. colleges. Here’s what we found:
While some colleges and universities offer valuable guidance to student veterans through academic advisors and on-campus student veteran centers, our survey found that broad improvements are needed:
One thing is clear: Veterans bring abundant talents and expertise to their civilian lives. It’s up to us to help them succeed by recognizing and rewarding their military jobs and training. For their sacrifices and service, it’s time they get the credit they deserve.
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