These veterans are on track to become nurses through a scholarship program created to address the nursing shortage

Eric Cox was deployed multiple times to Afghanistan and Iraq while he was in the U.S. military.

During those deployments, he worked with medics and saw the tasks they performed were essential on the battlefield. "I thought it was very compelling what they could do with the training that they had," said Cox, a veteran who is pursing a nursing degree at Montgomery County Community College. "After I retired, I was working as a photographer for a few years and kind of lost interest in that.

I thought nursing might be something I'd like to pursue, so here I am." At a Veterans Day event Monday, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation saluted Cox and other veterans pursuing college degrees through its Service Scholars Program, which enhances educational benefits offered by the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs' Yellow Ribbon Program. Through the Service Scholars Program , veteran students can receive scholarships, non-tuition aid and beyond-the-classroom supports like career development opportunities and mentoring from American Corporate Partners , an organization that helps veterans transitioning to civilian careers. The Service Scholars Program currently supports more than 18 veteran students at five nursing schools: Community College of Philadelphia, Gwynedd Mercy University, Montgomery County Community College, Thomas Jefferson University and Villanova University.

Cox anticipates graduating from the program in August 2026. "They've given me some money to help with things other .