Military & Veterans

What’s Next after Military Service

As people return from their military service, they often have concerns about their next steps: Can colleges serve their unique needs? Will they receive academic credit for what they learned in the military? Are there civilian careers that leverage their military experience? To help them get what they need to succeed in civilian life, we work with colleges on creating military-friendly policies and advising structures, awarding credit for learning from military experiences, and offering career paths into appropriate fields.

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) helps active military and veterans return to school by providing more access to:

  • Military-friendly Colleges
  • Recognition for Life and Military Experience
  • Paths to Civilian Jobs

SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT MILITARY AND VETERANS

Read stories about programs CAEL has designed and implemented for active duty military and veterans.

Addressing the Needs of Veterans

CHALLENGE:
The array of decisions veterans need to make include: What kind of work am I suited for and does it have advancement opportunities? What kind of educational credential do I need to be considered for that kind of job? Where do I go to get that education, how much will it cost, and how long will it take? The “right answers” may not reveal themselves until many years have passed and many thousands of dollars of GI bill benefits have been spent.
 

RESPONSE:

  • Identifying current services available to Chicago area veterans as they consider their educational options

  • Raising awareness of the need for more career and education advising for veterans to help with their decision-making

  • Developing and piloting Return to Learning workshop for veterans

  • Facilitating the sharing of information and strategies for serving veterans among a group of Chicago-area colleges and universities

More information

Collaborators

  • McCormick Foundation
    McCormick Foundation

    The McCormick Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening our free, democratic society by investing in children, communities and country. Through its six grantmaking programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, two museums, and a civic outreach program, the Foundation helps build a more active and engaged citizenry. It was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation’s largest charities, with more than $1 billion in assets.