SEATTLE — Starting college can bring a new set of challenges for anyone, but for student veterans, the transition may also mean adjusting to civilian life while managing the mental and physical health effects of leaving military service.
At the University of Washington, the Office of Student Veteran Life is working to help veterans find support and community as they navigate life beyond the military.
Jordan Houghton, interim director of UW’s Office of Student Veteran Life, said GI Bill users represent less than 1% of the university’s campus population, which can make it difficult for veterans to connect with people who understand their experiences.
“It’s kind of hard to find people who have similar experiences or might have an understanding of what you’re dealing with,” Houghton said.
Houghton understands that transition firsthand. He served four years in the Army as a combat medic before coming to UW to study psychology.
He said leaving the military can also mean leaving behind the structure, routine and sense of community that service members relied on for years.
“If you don’t have community, it’s a little lonesome,” Houghton said. “And I think that’s where a lot of veterans and our military members fall into sort of that pit where they come here and they don’t know anyone.”
That isolation can have an impact on veterans’ well-being. A 2026 study highlighted mental health concerns among student veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and substance use disorders.
Without the familiar community they had in the military, Houghton said some veterans can fall into a routine of simply going to class and heading home rather than fully engaging in college life.
“Eventually that wears you down, and, you know, then what?” Houghton said. “Like, you struggle to find a community because you spent four years here and you didn’t talk to anyone because you weren’t sure.”
UW’s Office of Student Veteran Life is trying to bridge that gap by connecting veterans with peer mentors, GI Bill benefits, Veterans Affairs services and health resources.
Houghton said veterans can also lean on one another to find answers and navigate available resources.
“It acts very collectivist and militaristic in that, where if one person doesn’t know it, it’s most certainly that another does, and the best way to figure that out is to just speak it,” Houghton said.
For student veterans, Houghton’s message is that finding a community can be an important part of navigating the transition from military service to college life.
The University of Washington will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday, November 11 at 11:00 a.m., at the MOH Memorial.
There will be a Veterans Tailgate and Football Game 3-hours prior to kick-off on Saturday, November 21 at the Waterfront Activities Center.
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