Department of Higher Education

Veterans' stories commemorate GI Bill 75th anniversary

The Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) is partnering with the Missouri Veterans Commission and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to join a nationwide movement celebrating the impact of the educational benefits available through the GI Bill.

During June, the MDHE will share stories on social media of veterans who used the GI Bill with the hashtag #myGIBillstory to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944.

“The GI Bill is not only transformational for individual service-members, but it has also made a profound impact on American society,” said Zora Mulligan, commissioner of higher education. “We’re proud to share these stories and provide resources to help veterans earn college degrees.”

This month, the MDHE is also releasing the College Handbook for Missouri Veterans, a project with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and the University of Missouri – St. Louis. This collaboration began in 2017 through Missouri’s participation in the Multi-State Collaborative to Award Military Credit (MCMC). The handbook was written by Missouri student veterans for their peers and provides resources and information about federal and state programs for veterans, as well as space for colleges to add campus-specific information.

“Student veterans need to hear from their institutions about how to succeed in higher education, but I think it is just as important for them to hear from their peers – current student veterans,” said Jim Craig department chair of sociology at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. “That’s why I was so excited to be part of this project.”

Higher education institutions may also use the Missouri’s Student Veteran Center Guide, a resource created by the Missouri Behavioral Health Alliance, the MDHE, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health-Division of Behavioral Health. This guide assists colleges and universities in meeting the needs of student veterans.

Visit https://dhe.mo.gov/news/gibillanniversary.php for more information about these resources.

About the Missouri Department of Higher Education: The department seeks to build Missouri’s future by degrees and coordinate higher education policy that fosters a quality postsecondary system. More information about MDHE can be found at https://dhe.mo.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter @MoHigherEd.