2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The number of veteran enrollments in American colleges and universities is at a level not seen since the Vietnam War era. Most of these veterans use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, an educational assistance plan for eligible veterans, but many more programs are available to veterans and active duty military members. This paper presents an overview of many of these education assistance programs available to this growing population. With no end date for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the demand for engineering degrees in an increasingly technical job market, large numbers of veterans will continue to enroll in higher education institutions. Likewise, active duty military members will be part of the engineering education landscape to support the current demand for technical expertise in the military. Every student has different needs and challenges, and all still need information and access to resources that will help them succeed and link them to the campus community, so that they feel more fully part of the learning environment and can meet their educational goals. A continuous stream of student veteran and active duty populations requires higher education faculty, advisers, staff, and administrators to both understand their strengths and challenges, to include their funding pathways for an engineering education.

Scholarships and grants provide a pathway and can ease the financial burden for many students. Similarly, the educational benefits earned by the veterans and active duty military members provide great opportunities but have limitations and different applications. This paper attempts to highlight some of the major educational benefit programs available to veterans and active duty military members and inform those who interact and advise with this population.