We all know that unemployment rates for military spouses are unacceptably high. While there are some instances where that reality is out of our control, there are a few things that are in our control to create a more stable and lucrative career for ourselves and our families. One of those things is our education.
I started dating my husband right after pilot training and the next ten years were crazy. He deployed 5 times in 10 years and on top of that, we were stationed at bases where he was always part of some special program that had him on the road a lot. During those years I had a lot of time alone so while my husband served his initial ten-year commitment, I completed four degrees, including my doctorate. Now that I’m on the other side of my education journey and on the other side of being an active-duty spouse (my husband is in the National Guard now!) I want to connect with and support other milsos making smart decisions about their education to fuel their professional goals.
In the years that I have been part of the WAFS community on Facebook, I have seen countless posts asking for advice on going back to school – how to plan, pick, and fund a degree that will be worthwhile but also manageable. While I have tried to respond to as many of those posts as possible, I hope to scale that help by offering direct support if you are going through that decision-making process. If you’re interested in chatting you can learn more here: www.sarahvdiehl.com.
Here are some of the key things to consider when making your education choices.
Your long-term goals
The military isn’t forever – for most of us, it will only be a part of our spouses’ careers. Because our spouses’ careers are unpredictable we often feel helpless, like we can’t plan ahead or dream big. Our community certainly faces limitations that others don’t. But we can still be ambitious by thinking critically about creating and sustaining the life we envision, even after our role of milso is over. Right now, military spouses are a very educated but also a very underemployed group, partly due to a mismatch between degrees and opportunity. I know too many milsos who have degrees they are not using, and not always by choice. Education can be a catalyst for a stable career because it gives you skills and knowledge, as well as networking and job opportunities. However, it needs to be approached intentionally in order to pay off. For most of us, education should be pursued in strategic support of our personal and professional goals to pay off big.
Picking a college
There are many different things to consider when going to school, especially if you are going back to school for a master’s degree. Some of the most important differences are for-profit vs. nonprofit colleges, public vs. private, the accreditation of the college, and the research designation of the college. Especially if a college is appealing because it’s heavily advertised to you, it’s important to do your due diligence and understand all the pros and cons of the institution. Some important things you can do include researching any lawsuits against the college you are interested in and looking them up on both the Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission’s websites. (This is particularly important for any fully online institution). Additionally, you can check U.S. News and World Report for metrics like the rating, national ranking, graduation rates, and other information that might be pertinent to your decision.
The program type
As military spouses, length and learning format matter a lot. This is when you can get really smart about your education as it’s aligned with your spouse’s military career. Some considerations include remote vs. in-person learning, networking & opportunities, synchronous vs. asynchronous classes, and possible residency requirements or experiential learning requirements. You can pick a shorter, in-person program near your base. Or pick something longer and more flexible you can take on a PCS. If you value in-person learning and networking, there are hybrid opportunities available that require occasional in-class attendance. Flexible options have been incredibly beneficial to our community. Personally, synchronous courses allowed me to connect with not just my instructors, but my classmates too, who have proven to be valuable professional contacts and friends. If taking on a large education goal, like law school, a hefty time and in-person commitment may be required. But if that is part of your goals, then there are many ways to make more intense degrees work for you.
Funding the degree
It will be important to weigh the costs of education against your goals. Just having a degree won’t automatically make you more marketable; it’s the demonstrated skills and expertise you develop while studying that create value. Because of this, sometimes spending more money for a more reputable or rigorous experience can be worthwhile. Some things to consider include the current costs versus the long-term impacts of the experiences gained. When thinking of funding, there are options commonly discussed as available to military spouses like MyCAA and the G.I. Bill. However, these might not always be options for you and they might not cover the programs you are considering. I believe the best approach is finding ways to fund the right program rather than picking the program that you can most easily fund. There are many scholarships and discounts available, but there are also other financing options. Education will usually come with a sacrifice of time but also a sacrifice of money. For me, it was a big sacrifice to put most of my salary back into my education, but I was confident it would have a larger return on investment in the future.
Applying the degree
If you do take on a new degree program, follow-through is critical if you want to see that return on investment. There will be times when it seems overwhelming and frustrating, but the further you get, the sunk cost might be greater than the short-term relief of quitting. Once you get through your program, the next step is figuring out how to apply your degree to get closer to those goals. If you are pursuing a degree for only personal development reasons, or not interested in immediately applying the skills to a career pivot, it can still be beneficial to keep the door open to new opportunities. Especially today there are many ways you can use a degree partially to keep your foot in the door of a career path, waiting until more opportunities open up, perhaps after a big PCS or after separating from active duty. No matter your goals, once graduating, it’s important to not lose steam but start working on how you can incorporate your new expertise into your resume, job search, or even just in your personal brand.
In conclusion…
In my experience, conversations around education and workforce development need to go hand-in-hand. We talk a lot about the employment struggles we face and these days it seems like we have access to endless resources built to help grow our careers (even if many of them feel like dead ends). As we navigate the changing demographics and priorities of milsos, I would love to see a more nuanced conversation grow about how military spouses can use education strategically – and be a part of that conversation as well.
Meet Sarah
Sarah has been a C-17 milso for ten years. Sarah works in education policy and is eager to help all military spouses reach their education and career goals. She recently completed her Doctorate of Law and Policy at Northeastern University and moved cross-country to get settled into her new life as a New York National Guard (and airline pilot) spouse.
