From mortar rounds and improvised explosive devices to lecture halls and bachelor's degrees, the veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq are making their ways from warfront to classroom. And they'll soon be doing so in greater numbers.
Between the UNH Durham and Manchester campuses, Lonn Sattler, the Veteran's Administration (VA) representative sees about 250 veterans a year. That number is expected to increase due to the New G.I. Bill - the education funding given to servicemen and women - which will go into effect for the fall 2009 semester.
"The New G.I. Bill is so much better," said Sattler. "We are expecting significant increases [in veteran enrollment]. We could see a 20 to 30 percent increase."
Among some of the changes to the G.I. Bill is the method of payment. Currently, veterans pay upfront for their educations. Then the G.I. Bill reimburses them. The New G.I. Bill will go directly to the schools and pay any fees while giving larger monthly stipends or living expenses to the veterans.
The Veterans Administration website explains how much a veteran can expect to receive.
"Based on your length of active duty service," the website said, "you are entitled to a percentage of the following: cost of tuition and fees, monthly housing allowance and yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year."
Sattler explained that while the New G.I. Bill is not as significant for a state like California where much of the schooling is already paid for, it will have a tremendous impact on a state like New Hampshire, which has one of the highest state school tuitions in the country.
"This is huge for New Hampshire because we do not have a tuition discount for our veterans," said Sattler. "We'll be picking up the people that are saying 'wow, now I can do this."
Anyone who joined the armed forces since September 11, 2001 can use the New G.I. Bill and they have 10 years from their discharge date to use it.
"We're gearing up now to make sure veterans are able to find out about the services available to them," said Sattler. "There is a big push at universities around the country to inform first generational combat vets about their benefits."
Sattler, a retired Navy chief, recalled UNH during Desert Storm, saying about 50 students from the National Guard had been mobilized for the conflict. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have mobilized about 150 students from UNH so far - making completing school in a timely manner difficult.
UNH junior Anthony Dineen, 23, is currently a member of the Marine Corps reserves - he deployed in the middle of his sophomore year to Fallujah, Iraq. He said the New G.I. Bill will be good for new recruits. He has student loans that his current G.I. Bill now goes toward paying off. But with the New G.I. Bill going directly to the school, he'll be left to make the loan payments himself.
The transition from serviceman to student, which Sattler hopes to ease through the creation of a center for veterans, is anything but easy. Dineen, a political science major, found it difficult to acquire information about how to use his G.I. Bill - a fault Sattler recognized at UNH, but said he luckily had a friend who pointed him in the right direction.
"We have the counseling, we have the disabled center, we have the services, we just need to set up a center and a website so veterans can find out about them," Sattler said. "We need a directory for veterans."
Dineen said it's hard to describe being a veteran at UNH, and most of the time he hides it.
"I don't really mention that I am a Marine. Only one of my professors has known I am an Iraqi veteran," said Dineen. "I did my thing and I don't feel like I deserve anything."
As for classroom discussions, Dineen finds he's quiet and at times frustrated.
"Any type of discussion at UNH is liberal," said Dineen. "The information is accurate but presented with strong opinions."
The future looks brighter for veterans as both schools and the country in general are becoming more aware of the men and women returning home from war.
"Since Vietnam, veterans have been treated better," said Sattler. "As time goes on, the VA and the government recognize more and more that veterans need help. They recognize PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] and know that they're trying to go to school, and that it is not easy."
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