What to Consider When Looking to Attend College as a Veteran or Military
Things for Veterans and Military to Consider When Looking to Attend College
The following points are for all veterans considering attending college. Does your chosen school have some or all of these features?
General Features of a Military-Friendly College
- Full-time Veteran Counselor on Campus: Does the school offer a full-time veteran counselor on campus to provide assistance and support for a range of student-veteran issues?
- ACE Credit for Military Experience to get college credit for formal military training in terms of academic credit, allowing thousands of military personnel to earn credit for college-level learning acquired in the military.
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Help Paying For College
Aside from the GI Bill, Fry Scholarship, and the promise of VET TEC 2.0, there are many options for veterans and currently-serving military members to hel pay for school, get college credit for military experience, and develop a new career.
- Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
- Tuition and fees may exceed what the GI Bill will cover. Yellow Ribbon schools make additional funds available without charging your GI Bill entitlement.
- Apply for military-specific scholarships at specific institutions.
- Some institutions offer reduced tuition to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- DSST are also credit-by-examination exams for both higher and lower levels.
Other Features of Veteran-Friendly Schools
While not all colleges or institutions offer these programs, the ones that do make your higher education journey easier to navigate.
- The Veterans Upward Bound Program is designed to motivate and assist Veterans in developing the academic and other skills necessary for acceptance and success in a postsecondary program.
- CLEP exams allow Veterans to earn college credit by achieving qualifying scores on any one or more of 24 assessments, enabling them to move directly into higher-education courses, saving both time and money.
- In State Tuition Extended for Active Duty, offered by public colleges, these institutions charge active duty military, regardless of their state of residence, no more than the in-state tuition rate.
Be sure to discuss your veteran or currently serving status with the college admissions office as soon as possible to learn your options as a veteran student. Military spouses and college-age children should do the same. Don’t forget that state and local programs may also exist to help pay for your post-military education.
Think these points over, and then start your path to higher education with CollegeRecon.
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