Colleges must help America keep the promise it makes to its military

September 27, 2026 - 01:30

Military recruitment is hitting record highs, and that puts a clear responsibility on colleges and universities across the country. The promise made to service members has always been simple: serve your country, and your country will help you build a future. That future often runs through a college campus. Right now, too many schools are not holding up their end of the deal.

Veterans and active duty service members face a maze when they arrive on campus. Transfer credits get rejected for reasons that make little sense. Advisors do not understand military transcripts. Mental health services are stretched thin, and staff often lack training in military culture. The result is that people who handled enormous pressure overseas find themselves defeated by a financial aid form or a registration hold.

Fixing this does not require reinventing higher education. It requires attention and follow through. Schools can create dedicated offices for military students. They can train faculty on the specific challenges veterans face. They can review credit transfer policies and make them fair. They can make sure housing and scheduling work for people who still serve in the reserves.

The country asked these men and women to put their lives on hold. Colleges should not ask them to fight the same bureaucracy twice. Keeping the promise means making the path from service to classroom as clear as the oath they took.