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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                Chris Elliott                        Zach Lee                  Christian Palmer
                Geronimo Rodriguez       Blake Whitaker       Kristen Young

UI gives returning veterans a boost 

The University of Illinois is taking steps to support U.S. troops far beyond simple bumper stickers or magnets. The institution announced last month it would offer 110 MBA scholarships, worth almost $75,000 each, to returning veterans.

The G.I. Bill provides education funding for vets, but it's often not enough. The fact that times are hard, financially speaking, in the world of higher education makes UI's generosity even more commendable. 

Veterans coming back from Iraq make up the largest returning combat force since Vietnam. (Those guys never had any problems, did they?) And there's obviously an issue with readjusting to civilian life -- the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs recently reported an unemployment rate of more than 15 percent among veterans from 20 to 24 years old.

Whether you support the war in Iraq or not, the individual soldiers in the country deserve all the financial help they get when it comes to getting an education and making the transition from a hostile combat environment to the relatively slow pace of everyday life back home. 

Combat troops experience a broad range of situations that most civilians can't possibly imagine, and it can be difficult to simply pick school, work and family back up where they left off upon returning home.

To make matters more difficult, many veterans find their specializations don't necessarily translate to career opportunities, despite what television commercials might say. Clearly, this isn't the fault of the military — warfare demands certain skills that simply don't directly translate to jobs back home. The portrayal of this dynamic may be an issue for some, however.

Nevertheless, UI deserves kudos for its scholarship giveaway. Many colleges may not be able to handle the strain of such a program right now, but it'd be nice to see those that have the means follow suit.

There are few things more despicable than sending young people to war and not taking care of them when they return.