Army officials have announced that over the next two years, they plan to cut their forces down by 40,000 soldiers. This means a lot of military servicemembers will be reentering the civilian world and looking for the next step in their life after service. On Aug. 10, the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced the winners of the 2015 Veteran Reconnect Grants. These grants were made possible by $1 million in state funding and were established to encourage more veterans to come to the state for higher education.
Of the 11 institutions that received part of the grant money, most said they would use the funds to increase staff training on assisting veterans who have returned to school. This was a deciding factor for state officials who understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be difficult, especially for students.
"You go from a very structured military environment to a higher education environment that actually values a lack of structure," Mike Krause, an executive director for one of the state's education programs, told Military Times. "It's very disorienting."
A few of the universities that received funding were Middle Tennessee State University, East Tennessee State University, Maryville College, Northeast State Community College and the University of Memphis.