From the battlefield to the classroom

Imagine leading a company of 200 men into battle and organizing tactical strategies that may ultimately affect hundreds of lives. Imagine dodging IEDs and enemy fire while carrying a 50-pound pack or driving a 67-ton tank through rugged terrain. Imagine taking a life.

Now imagine your tour is over and you find yourself sitting in a classroom surrounded by clueless 20-somethings, being talked at by a professor. Imagine your struggle to focus on the hypothetical, because your last four years have been all too real.

With the official end to the war in Iraq just over a month ago, many servicemen and women are beginning the transition back to normal life. For some veterans, being back in the classroom can be a huge adjustment from the structure, hierarchy and reality of military life.

DePaul student Courtney Bedoya spends a lot of her time helping with the Student Veterans Union, an on-campus student organization. While she is not a veteran herself, her husband Major Joey Bedoya is currently serving in Afghanistan. This marks his 4th tour of duty in the region, and he has also served in Iraq and Egypt. "A lot of times the veterans come back to school with years of experience in combat and leadership," said Bedoya. "It isn't easy for them to simply come back and sit in a classroom."

According to Bedoya, both the Student Veterans Union and the Office of Veteran's Affairs are great resources for assistance and aid for struggling ex-soldiers. They offer job assistance for positions that are military-based, utilizing the skills they've learned to translate into civilian jobs, as well as support groups to help adjust to the transition.

Jesus Ramirez joined the Air Force right out of high school because he had "always wanted to serve." During his four years of service abroad, he was trained extensively. Yet Ramirez said that little of that knowledge has helped with his journey through college. Currently he is listed as inactive reserve and is studying Information Systems at DePaul.

"While some of the skills I learned in the Air Force have helped, most of them didn't apply to the real world outside of the military," Ramirez said.

The Student Veterans Union works to provide support groups to help ex-soldiers struggling with the college transition. In fact, the official club constitution states their commitment to helping "student veterans' transition successfully to academic life and transfer military leadership skills into civilian roles."

Many veterans who attend DePaul use GI Bill benefits to cover some tuition costs. One program, the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, covers nearly all tuition for veterans beyond the coverage of typical bill benefits. Eligibility typically requires at least 36 months of military service since 9/11/01 or a service-related disability after serving for at least 30 continuous days.

Pamela Lee Kadirifu, Director of Transfer Admission and the Adult Enrollment Center at DePaul, works closely with many veteran applicants. Being a veteran herself, Kadirifu is able to speak their language and understands how difficult the transition may be.

"We are often seen as more veteran friendly than most state schools," said Lee Kadirifu. "It lends towards our mission – access and outreach."

The admission team has reworked a few of their processes to accommodate the needs of this population, according to Kadirifu. They offer things such as online advising and instant admissions to accommodate the need to do things while on leave.

DePaul is one of only six schools in Chicago that do not cap the number of Yellow Ribbon recipients they admit each year for undergraduate degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. DePaul is also one of a small group of Chicago schools that provide full benefits for both undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Yellow Ribbon Program was established by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and was meant to forge an agreement between higher education institutions and U.S. Veterans Affairs. Under the program, universities and the VA will match tuition contributions up to the cost of the highest public in-state undergraduate institution. This implies that private schools with higher costs can expect to contribute more per student being covered by the bill.

DePaul has had more than 300 students enroll since the Yellow Ribbon Program started, which is significant for a private school of DePaul's size, according to the director.

A majority of students utilizing the Yellow Ribbon Program are enrolled in undergraduate programs. While many veterans do have undergraduate degrees, the program benefits extend past the solider.

"Remember a veteran isn't just a person – it is a status as well," said Kadirifu. "Family members could be using veteran benefits of a parent or spouse."