The Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 provides military veterans with some financial support to pursue postsecondary education. During the academic years 2007-08, there were approximately 972,000 undergraduate students who were either veterans, in active military service or reserves, making up 4 percent of the undergraduate student population.

For many veterans, pursuing a college education is not simply continuing where high school may have left off. These returning soldiers may still be recovering from traumas incurred during service.

Injuries impacting cognitive functioning are the most prevalent of those suffered on the battlefield by the service men and women returning from deployment. It is estimated that those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan had a risk as high as 40 percent of suffering an injury impacting cognition by the time they completed their service.

For those veterans having suffered an injury impacting brain structure, the rigors of a college curriculum may present a substantial challenge. It is not out of the ordinary for those suffering a traumatic brain injury to experience attention and concentration difficulties.

Other issues impacting efficient learning include problems with information processing, memory difficulties and sluggish abstract reasoning. Brain injuries can impact executive functions, which creates difficulty in problem-solving, planning, general awareness and sequencing — all important in order to be successful in a college setting.

Even in the absence of trauma impacting learning, veterans differ in others ways from the traditional student. Veteran students tend to be older with over 87 percent being over than age 24, and 47 percent are married. It may be complicated to make connections with younger students who may be less disciplined and are unable to relate to the experiences of a combat veteran.

The veteran student can feel isolated. However, studies have demonstrated that colleges that have strategies such as trained faculty, specialized orientations, targeted counseling and financial aid can further assure the success of a veteran student.

The transition from battlefield to classroom may be more complex for the veteran. But despite the challenges, a Student Veterans of America (SVA) report found that most of veteran students complete a bachelor's degree within four to six years and an associate degree within four years. The SVA report also found that veterans have a completion rate that is similar to other students and exceeds the rates of other nontraditional students.

"It is critical that institutions of higher education create conditions for student veterans to thrive both academically and socially as they transition back to civilian life," said SVA Executive Director Michael Dakduk.

Enabling veterans to get on with their lives should be a priority.