Our daughter’s high school graduation, thankfully, is in the family’s rearview mirror. For me, it was a celebration that I hoped to move through as gracefully as possible. I knew all the feelings would hit in the months and days leading up to the big day. I just didn’t know when they would pop up — making for some unexpected tears during car rides, grocery shopping, and pick-ups and drop-offs at the fun last-day-of-school senior events.
Admittedly, I am happy to have this melancholy milestone behind us so that the focus can turn to the exciting transition into college. When the end of August arrives, I will take comfort in the fact that we’ve done everything we can do to set our girl off on the right track. Whether it’s searching for the perfect XL Twin sheets or ensuring all her GI Bill documents are in place. These are the tasks that I hope will bring me peace as my husband and I face becoming empty nesters.
Now, for sure, these aren’t things that Mom and Dad do alone; our burgeoning adult needs to learn to advocate for herself. For now, we’re teaching her to navigate boring adult things like health care and finances.
1. Health care. Luckily, our daughter isn’t moving out of our current TRICARE boundaries, so we won’t need to switch regions. We’ll try to schedule routine doctor’s visits during breaks and over the summer, but she’ll need to learn the ins and outs of local services like pharmacies, urgent care and emergency room visits.
You can review the Going to College page on TRICARE and familiarize yourself with the mental health services offered by Military OneSource, so it’s an easy call to make if your child could benefit from that support during a typically stressful time in their lives.
Keep in mind that once your child turns 18, most health-related activities become restricted viewing, so parents will need legal documents that allow access to medical records.
You can read more about these documents in 7 Important Documents Your Senior Needs Before College.
2. College funding. Over the last two years, we’ve become a lot more knowledgeable about the various benefits of dependents’ college tuition. We’re grateful that my husband transferred his benefits to our daughter years ago, but the process wasn’t without hiccups, especially since she only recently turned 18, and it was challenging to receive her Certificate of Eligibility.
It takes time to understand, transfer and implement the GI Bill, so my best advice is to become very close with the personnel at your student’s college’s veterans and military affairs offices. The officials there are a wealth of information. Talk with them before the tuition bills are released and classes start to make sure everything is in order.
If you’re new to college funding, Learning How to Pay for College Using Military Benefits will point you in the right direction.
These are also helpful resources:
3. Budgeting for college life. I was recently humbled by my Gen Z daughter while trying to explain the old way of balancing a checkbook with a calculator and a pencil. She couldn’t conceive of a time when a banking phone app wouldn’t automatically report the balance, which led me to discuss the rare occasion when she might need to account for written checks that would eventually be cashed.
There’s a lot to discuss with your student about spending money before move-in day. Some families insist on part-time jobs, others provide allowances, and still others hand over a credit card for “emergencies.” Setting clear expectations before freedom sets in is just one way to secure financial readiness.
Budgeting for Beginners is a great place to start teaching your student the basics of personal finance.
Good luck to the students and parents of the college Class of 2029!
Blog Brigade unites military spouses by creating a community built on shared experiences and mutual support. Navigating the complexities of military life can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Military OneSource offers valuable resources focused on well-being, readiness, and connection. Explore a range of education resources and tools tailored to your needs.
