Educational Opportunities for Veterans
by Leslie Parsons
In 1944, Anna M. Rosenberg made a surprising discovery.
At the time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration were beginning to look ahead towards the end of the Second World War and wanted to have a plan in place for reintegrating returning servicemen into civilian society. While many understood that veterans would require support transitioning, there were varying ideas on what form that support should take. President Roosevelt endorsed a plan that emphasized providing veterans with employment, while others stressed the need for housing, and still others wanted to reward veterans for their service with financial compensation.
Finally, Roosevelt decided to ask the soldiers what they wanted. He sent Ms. Rosenberg, the New York State Regional Director of the Roosevelt Administration’s War Manpower Commission and a consultant to the Retraining and Reemployment Administration, to Europe to interview servicemen about what they expected from their government when they came home. She returned from her trip with a definitive answer—though it was not the one that she—or Roosevelt—expected.
An overwhelming majority of the men Ms. Rosenberg interviewed said they wanted help obtaining or continuing their education after the war was over.
As a result of Ms. Rosenberg’s research, the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (commonly known as the “GI Bill”), included the offer of dedicated payments for tuition and living expenses to those veterans who wanted to attend high school, college, or vocational school. While the original GI Bill expired in 1956, subsequent legislation aimed at providing support and services to those who serve their country in the US Military (including, most recently, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and the Harry W. Colmeny Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017) has continued to emphasize the value of education as part of the military transition.
While the US government offers several programs that enable veterans to obtain or continue their education after their military service is complete, some non-profit organizations have also stepped in to serve certain segments of the military community. The True North Foundation is proud to partner with Dog Tag, Inc. and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, both of which offer unique opportunities for veterans and their families to develop skills that will help them in their civilian careers.
The Dog Tag Fellowship Program
Dog Tag Bakery first opened its doors in Washington, D.C. in 2014. Right from the start, the founders of the bakery—Constance Milstein and Father Rick Curry—wanted to create a business that empowered transitioning veterans and their families with the education and support they needed to redefine their futures. They did this by creating The Dog Tag Fellowship Program.
The program, which lasts five months, provides students with the opportunity to gain foundational business skills, explore career options through workshops with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and other experts, and get hands-on leadership and teamwork experience through working in the Dog Tag Bakery. Students come out of the program with the tools they need to thrive in the civilian economy, as well as a customized business certificate from a top university and a plan for their own future success.
To date, the Dog Tag Fellowship Program has welcomed 16 cohorts (groups consisting of post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and military caregivers) and celebrated its 232 graduates. The program boasts a graduation rate of 95%. . The program has been so successful that a second location in Chicago is heading into its second year of operation.
The Dog Tag Fellowship Program is currently accepting applications for their next cohort. Click here to learn more about the program and the application process. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2023.
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation takes pride in being the nation’s oldest and largest provider of scholarships for post-secondary education. Every year, MCSF scholarships relieve hundreds of children of former and current Marines from the financial burden of having to pay for college or vocational training school. Scholarships are awarded solely on the basis of financial need and are provided to all qualified applicants. The only requirements are that recipients must be the sons and daughters of Marines, Navy corpsmen, or religious chaplains tied to Marine units, and must graduate high school with a 2.0 GPA. Scholarships allow students to focus on their studies and on maximizing their potential, while it relieves them (and their parents) of the financial burden of paying for their education.
For more than 60 years, the MCSF has awarded over 500,000 scholarships, valued at $185 million. This year, 2,600 scholarships helped change the lives of Marine families and the MCSF provided $10 million in scholarship support. Ninety-one percent of those who receive scholarships graduate and MCSF scholars also maintain an average GPA of 3.43.
The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year. Click here to learn more about the program and to submit your application. Applications must be received by March 1, 2023.
True North is proud to partner with these organizations and others like them that serve transitioning veterans and their families. Please share this story with anyone you feel could benefit from hearing it and please consider supporting the True North Foundation and our amazing partners by donating today.