Dead End Detour: Working in Higher Ed

The Post-9/11 GI Bill has made a profound impact on the lives of countless veterans and their families. If veterans play their cards right, they can knock out a whole degree program with no issue. I’ve seen some enterprising students go as far as to achieve doctoral degrees with the benefit. At some point, however, the GI Bill runs out. The unfortunate fact is that servicemembers and veterans attend an average of seven Higher Ed institutions before arriving at the one which grants them a bachelor’s degree. A number of factors contribute to this statistic, whether its deployment rotations, frequent PCS moves, or degree shopping. The result is that many of us burn through months of entitlement before we get on the right track, and 36 months can go by quickly if you aren’t careful. If you haven’t completed your program or wish to continue your education, then what? Drown yourself in student loan debt?

Indentured servitude? I propose another path forward: work for a college or university that offers tuition remission.

Full disclosure…if you’re all about the Benjamins, working in Higher Ed won’t make it rain. But if you want a job that pays the bills while also providing the opportunity to further your education at little or no cost, Higher Ed could be the industry for you.

Many institutions offer full or partial tuition remission for their benefits eligible employees. Of course, this does entail working full-time and taking classes at night, on the weekends, and/or online. While it may also disrupt the lifestyle to which you’ve grown accustomed, this option is simply a means to an end. A DEBT FREE end, at that.

Thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, attending college has become the transitional employment option for hundreds of thousands of prior servicemembers. However, while our classrooms are home to more and more student veterans, we still need a greater veteran presence among our staff and faculty. On the administrative side, they can help create a welcoming and supportive environment that eases the transition from military to academia. They can help educate their colleagues about military culture.

These efforts truly make a difference in the lives of our fellow veterans. Working in Higher Ed is a way for us to reach our own goals while helping others do the same.

Not to say you can’t find a job within your chosen industry; some employers do offer tuition benefits.

There are other ways to pay for continuing education, too, such as the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. Working in Higher Ed, however, seems to be a path that not as many veterans have considered. This was the choice I made eight years ago when I wanted to earn my bachelor’s and knew I didn’t have enough GI Bill entitlement left to make it happen. I was fortunate enough to land a position at Northeastern University, and I didn’t pay a cent for the undergraduate degree they conferred on me in 2012. When I do decide to take that next step and go for my master’s, it’s a relief to know that financing it won’t be an issue.

Now how many veterans can say that?