The Veteran Supported Education Service Treatment Manual: VetSEd

enefits had higher income levels than non-Veterans of similar age, were more likely to
be in professional and skilled occupations, and were better educated‖ (President‘s
Commission, 1956, p. 62).
The continued commitment of the nation and VA to supporting Veterans education goals
is evident in the implementation of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This act has greatly increased
the opportunities for OIF/OEF/OND Veterans, including those with psychiatric
disabilities, to get educational tuition benefits and stipends for housing and books (Miller,
2011). The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 and
the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011, greatly expand tuition coverage as well as
housing and books stipends for those attending institutions of higher education, as well as
Veterans attending technical education institutions.
The uptake of these new educational benefits among Veterans has been strong (Sabo,
2010) with over 40,000 beneficiaries in 2011. Findings from a national college survey
conducted by the American Council on Education (2009) in advance of the new GI Bill
activation suggested that colleges were anticipating the largest influx of student Veterans
since the end of World War II; over half of the colleges responding to the survey already
provided specialized services or had policies addressing the needs of military and
Veterans in their student populations, close to half had a dedicated office for serving
student Veterans, and approximately one third had student Veteran interest organizations.
News media have reported that an increasing number of college campuses are developing
supports for student Veterans since the passage and activation of the Post 9/11 GI Bill
(Khadaroo, 2009), as they experience rapid increases in Veteran enrollment, ranging from
9 to 37% in many colleges and more than doubling in others (Hall, 2009).
Many sectors of American society are responding to the rising of Veteran use of the GI
Bill and also their need for assistance with education. Among these are: colleges that
attempt to provide a more supportive and ―Veteran friendly‖ environment, Veterans
student organizations and other advocacy groups that provide support to Veterans going
to school, and courses that are designed to facilitate the Veteran re-entry to civilian and
academic life. The Veterans Health Administration and the new initiatives Veterans
Benefits Administration also are experimenting with different approaches and to support
the schooling or training of Veterans with disabilities. VA rehabilitation counselors are
daunted by a myriad of challenges and other clinicians ―on the ground‖ also devise
responses as service members who present themselves with a desire to further their
education.
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