Serving in the military or participating in a service-year program endows people with valuable skills, competencies, and knowledge, such as collaboration on teams, problem-solving, and leadership under pressure. Individuals often leave service with financial education awards, matched by many postsecondary institutions, that can be applied toward future schooling. Additional benefits and supports could be offered to ease the transition to postsecondary education and training and to help individuals fully leverage the value of their service experiences.

Evidence shows that military veterans are more likely to earn postsecondary degrees, to stay in their jobs in the first six months, and to have eight of employers’ top ten most-needed skills. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides funds to military veterans to pursue higher education and a 2024 study showed that a majority of eligible veterans used these benefits, graduated within six years, and saw a similar boost in wages as other college graduates.  

Learners returning to college after time spent in the military or a service-year program often desire and deserve credit for college-level learning they have experienced outside a classroom setting, such as in workforce training or the workplace.

Schools can facilitate partnerships with commu­nity-based organizations that allow K-12 students to participate in service activities aligned to their learning objectives. During a listening session at a career academy, learn­ers shared that they highly valued the projects they completed each year with nonprofit orga­nizations in the community. These projects gave the learners a sense of accomplishment by developing an idea alongside a community leader, applying their learning and competen­cies outside the classroom, and serving a need in their community.

Colleges and universities can also create (or partner with community-based organizations to create) service-year positions for learners to develop durable skills, social capital, and purpose alongside their coursework. Integrating service-year positions into a college path can also provide learners with valuable earn-and-learn opportunities, paid work that is relevant to their studies and interests. Schools can also award credit service-year participants to accelerate degree attainment.

Individuals serving in the military or a service-year program may also be enrolled in a degree program or working an additional job to make ends meet. Depending on their industry of interest, servicemembers, veterans, and service-year alumni may choose a variety of pathways to pursue following their service experience.  

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