For veterans and active military members, pursuing a career as a psychologist is not only a meaningful way to re-enter civilian life but also a chance to continue serving others. This can be an excellent career path for those who have served in the armed forces, who can bring their unique insight and experience to provide compassionate care to those who are struggling with mental health issues.
Launch a Thriving Career as a Therapist With a Master of Psychology Degree
The first step in a psychology career is to complete a master’s program, which is required in order to obtain licensing in the state of California. By earning a Master of Psychology degree, you will be equipped with the knowledge and training to provide critical support to people facing all different types of challenges, lending your ear and your insights to help those in need.
A Master of Psychology degree allows service members and veterans to pursue job opportunities in therapy and counseling, human resources, social services, and education.
These jobs can be tremendously fulfilling for veterans who wish to continue to give back after completing their service. By offering your wealth of knowledge and your empathy to clients in need, you’ll be able to bring what you’ve learned into meaningful connections with those who can use your help.
Your psychology education can help you support other veterans
As a veteran supporting a master’s degree in psychology, you are uniquely positioned to offer support to fellow veterans who may be dealing with a range of issues. These can include mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, all of which require specialized care from professionals who understand their experiences. Beyond mental health issues, you may be able to empathize with other life factors your clients might be facing, bringing to the table a personal understanding of circumstances such as the difficulty of re-assimilating into civilian life after completing their service.
With your shared military background, you can become a crucial source of support for those whose experiences few others can fully empathize with.
For this reason, many veterans who pursue careers as counselors take on work as VA psychologists, offering guidance and compassion to those who have been through similar circumstances.
Your education in psychology will equip you with the tools to assess, diagnose, and treat the mental health challenges veterans face. Through coursework in counseling techniques, trauma-informed care, and clinical assessments, you will develop a deep understanding of how combat and service-related experiences affect mental health. Additionally, with specialized training in military psychology or trauma counseling, you can address the specific emotional and psychological wounds veterans carry, helping them build resilience and improve their quality of life.
Moreover, your ability to connect with other veterans on a personal level enhances the therapeutic process. Clients will appreciate this, and even in some cases seek this out; veterans seeking therapy may better connect with those who have shared their military experiences, understanding the stresses and pressures they’ve encountered. Drawing from your own background can help you create a safer and more supportive environment for those who are seeking to rebuild their lives after service.
Military Benefits Can Help You Pursue a Career in Psychology
By now it’s worth addressing the elephant in the room: pursuing an advanced degree can be costly, enough so that some who would like to follow new career paths are too daunted to go through with it. But those who have completed military service are in a unique position to make their educational journeys possible.
Taking on a Master’s in Psychology is no small undertaking, but veterans who choose this path can find fantastic supportive resources through military benefits.
These programs are explicitly intended to reward veterans for the sacrifices they have made for their country.
Anyone who has served in the armed forces should educate themselves about how they can use these resources to make their post-service dreams come true. However, it isn’t always easy to navigate the different options available. For this reason, this guide provides preliminary information about the key government programs out there for veterans so that you can make informed choices as you apply for your Master’s in Psychology program.
The GI Bill
The GI Bill is one of the longest-standing military benefit programs in the country. Created in 1944 to help World War II veterans reintegrate into civilian life, it offers educational and financial support to those who have served, ensuring that they have the resources to build successful post-military careers. There are several types of GI Bill available for veterans and active duty military personnel to make use of today; determining which one is right for you will depend on your military status, when you completed your military service, and your ability status.
Take a look at the list below to understand the GI Bill programs currently available. You can find more extensive information at the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill
The most widely used military benefit available, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is intended to provide comprehensive support to those who have recently served in the military. In most cases, it will be your first stop in reviewing benefit coverage to fund your graduate education.
- Eligibility: Veterans who served after September 11, 2001, for 90 days or more of active duty military service.
- Tuition coverage: Up to 100% of in-state public university tuition.
- Housing allowance: Monthly stipend based on the cost of living in the area where school is located (known as BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing).
- Book stipend: Up to $1,000 per year for educational materials.
- Transferable benefits: In some cases, service members can transfer unused benefits to a spouse or child.
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
The Montgomery GI Bill is another popular program primarily designed for veterans who served before 9/11/2001 or active duty military members who wish to pursue higher education or vocational training.
- Eligibility: Veterans who served in the military before the Post-9/11 GI Bill or those who opt for this program instead. Active duty members and reservists may also qualify to apply.
- Monthly payments: Fixed monthly educational benefits for up to 36 months (determined based on length of service).
- Service commitments: Requires at $1,200 pay reduction during active duty as part of program enrollment.
- Usage requirements: Can be used for college, technical or vocational courses, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training.
The Yellow Ribbon Program
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is designed to cover the cost of in-state public university tuition, but it’s not uncommon for veterans to enroll in academic programs out-of-state or at private universities. For this reason, many universities sign on to offer the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can help veterans and active duty service members cover the costs of higher education that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. This program must be offered by the schools you are interested in attending, meaning it’s worth doing your research during the application process.
- Eligibility: Veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill funding at a private university or an out-of-state public tuition.
- Tuition coverage: The school and the VA cover tuition costs that exceed the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s limit, reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket expenses. There is no cap on the amount that a school can contribute, making this especially beneficial for those attending high-cost universities.
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program (Chapter 31)
This program is designed to support veterans who have service-connected disabilities, offering particularly hands-on career guidance to help those who have made great sacrifices find meaningful and rewarding life paths.
- Eligibility: Veterans with service-connected disabilities who need support to gain skills for civilian employment.
- Resources provided: Counseling and career guidance as well as tuition and school supply funding for educational programs. Additionally, offers services like resume development and internship opportunities.
Aspiring Psychologists Can Benefit From Targeted Veterans’ Scholarships
In addition to the blanket programs outlined above, veterans who are pursuing degrees in psychology have the unique opportunity to take advantage of clinical psychology scholarships specifically for veterans.
The Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP)
The most prominent of these is the VA HPSP scholarship, which offers financial support to those who are pursuing careers in either direct or indirect healthcare services. Those who are pursuing Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) or Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) certification, as well as those pursuing doctoral degrees in psychology, are candidates for this program. (Indeed, this is one of the best PsyD scholarships around, so it’s highly recommended to those interested in taking on terminal degrees in psychology.)
Benefits of this program include tuition and approved fees (paid directly to the school where you are studying), monthly stipends of $1,302 paid directly to participants, and book stipends to cover the costs of students’ supplies. This is an excellent way to ensure that you will not face the financial burden that can come with pursuing an advanced degree.
The Vet Center Scholarship Program
Those who wish to pursue psychology work supporting other veterans can find an excellent clinical psychology scholarship opportunity in the Vet Center Scholarship Program. This program provides funding to cover up to two years of graduate study in a psychology program. From there, recipients will be placed at a VA Vet Center to complete up to six years of full-time employment, ensuring that they will immediately find work upon completing their graduate degrees.
Additional Supportive Services For Veterans Can Help You Excel While You Pursue Your Psychology Degree
Veterans can face unique challenges while in school, making supportive on-campus programs a crucial lifeline for those who are investing in their future careers.One of the most common resources available on campuses all over the state of California are Veterans Resource Centers (VRCs), which serve as a hub for students who are veterans or active duty personnel. These programs offer dedicated spaces for veterans to connect with one another, as well as offering academic advising and assistance in navigating the complex logistics of securing military benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In some cases, they also provide counseling, workshops, and career services to help veteran students transition to civilian life. There are also many schools that offer mental health services specifically for veterans as part of their on-campus therapy and counseling programs. These can provide critical support for those who are dealing with mental health challenges or difficulties re-assimilating into day-to-day life after completing military service, and can be a great choice to ensure that you will thrive as a student and as a psychology professional down the line.