Jillian Ventrone - From the Marine Corps to College: Transitioning from the Service to Higher Education

From the Marine Corps to College

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ventrone, Jillian, 1973

From the Marine Corps to college : transitioning from the service to higher education / Jillian Ventrone.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-3720-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-3721-6 (electronic)

1. VeteransEducationUnited States. 2. MarinesEducationUnited States. 3. United States. Marine Corps. I. Title.

UB357.V25 2014

378.1'982697dc23

2014013314

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have taken a harsh toll on our militarys population. Some service members come back from combat ready for a change of pace; others get caught up in the drawdown currently occurring within the services. Many of these service members decide to pursue higher education. Veterans education benefits are a source of much discussion, but they are often hard to decipher. From the Marine Corps to College: Transitioning from the Service to Higher Education aims to simplify this process.

From the Marine Corps to College assists active-duty, transitioning service members and their family members in the quest for higher education or vocational training. The educational information in this book will act as a guide through the transition process. While written specifically for Marines, service members from all military branches will find it useful.

After working in veterans higher education as a counselor for several years, I realized that many service members were unaware of their educational benefits. I found the main problem to be inaccessible information. The Marine Corps has many educational opportunities available for Marines, but the knowledge needs wider dissemination. Since the Corps has been engaged in two simultaneous wars that have taken a massive toll on its population, I can understand how educational benefits could slip through the cracks.

Marines, sailors, and their families need to be able to access the information they need to pursue their educational goals, whether traditional or nontraditional. Unfortunately, if a Marine does not know where to gain the information he requires, he will be left to his own devices. Word of mouth only goes so far to inform a population, and there is much scuttlebutt in the Marine Corps regarding available benefits.

I wrote From the Marine Corps to College to rectify this situation. Young Marines who have only recently finished their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training and Marines preparing to retire will all benefit from reading this book and learning how to use their available education benefits. I have included stories of Marines I worked with at different points in their careers, but I changed their names and ranks to protect their identities. This enables all readers to gain a more realistic understanding of the transition and higher education process. I also included the extra resources I have found and use on a daily basis in order to facilitate on-the-go knowledge. If a Marine does not receive counseling prior to separation but picks up this book, he will be armed with the necessary knowledge to get started and fund his education.

Many of the Marines I counsel are worried about pursuing higher education. I am always struck by how the thought of school scares them. Battle-hardened Marines afraid of schoolhow is this possible? At some point, I realized that they are referring to their high school experiences, not knowing that college is completely different. On top of that, after spending a minimum of four years in the Corps, their perspectives are different now; they will be more vested in their education.

If a Marine sets his mind on receiving an education, either traditional or vocational, nothing can stop him. They are the most resilient individuals I have ever met. So many of those I have helped have undergone tremendous stressors, including traumatic brain injuries and loss of limbs, but most persevere.

I work with Marines from all different MOSs, but the vast majority are infantrymen. These Marines are constantly shipped off to war or training, and yet many still manage to pursue higher education while on active duty. I have worked with a staff sergeant who is almost done with his doctoral degree in education; a captain attending an MBA program at the University of California, Los Angeles; a sergeant who was accepted to Columbia University for his bachelors degree; and a Marine gunner who finished his masters degree and is now a professor as well. If you are on active duty and cannot imagine having the time to start school, think again. Most Marines get started the same way. It can be done as long as you begin at a slow and steady pace.

I hope that if you are a Marine, you will take the time to read this book and pass it along to your friends and spouse. Disseminating the proper information will help every Marine pursue a high-quality education and understand how to fund it using available active-duty and veterans benefits. If used correctly, the benefits discussed here will help sustain veterans throughout their quest for education and enable them to successfully transition.

Most Marines whom I counsel have a difficult time getting started with higher education. School is a new and foreign environment that they are unsure how to navigate. This chapter will offer students advice pertaining to the steps that must be taken in order to initiate the process.

The most important step in pursuing higher education is simply to begin. That first step is often the most difficult, but once it is taken, everything else will fall into place. This chapter explains the steps to take to get the ball rolling.

If you are on active duty and have no idea how to get started, contact your local education center for guidance. Make an appointment with an academic counselor who will guide you through the process and help tailor your educational pathway to meet your specific needs. Typically, the first step is to attend an education brief through the base education department. For many branches, such as the Marine Corps, this brief is mandatory for first-time active-duty Tuition Assistance (TA) users.

If you are on active duty but preparing to transition, you should also contact the local base education center for an appointment with an academic counselor. The education counselors can help prepare a transition plan for your future educational pursuits. Plus, you can receive guidance pertaining to federal and state-based education benefits.