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Guide to Boosting Your Career Value After the Military With a College Education
Transitioning Successfully From Active Duty to Civilian Life
By SashaO
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As a member of the Armed Forces, you are doing a service to your nation. With a college degree, you can continue that service long after your military career is over. But how much do you really know about your options for getting that education? There are some important things to consider when it comes to your education, and this is the place to get started. - Know Your Benefits
The military has some major benefits when it comes to education. You’ve probably heard of the Montgomery GI Bill, but what exactly does it do?
Here are the basics: for serving your country as a part of the U.S. armed forces, you are entitled to tuition assistance to help you in your civilian life. From flight training to on-the-job apprenticing, a four-year university to a distance learning certificate program, the GI Bill can help you get the education you’ve always wanted.
- Know your Resources
The GI Bill is a bit complicated, but there are professionals to help you understand your education options.
Transition Assistance Program (TAP) TAP is a program that provides active duty personnel with the tools and knowledge needed to make good choices during the transition process from active to civilian status—and that includes counseling and guidance on issues like education. Contact your local Fleet and Family Support Center for information on how to get started!
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) True to its name, the VA’s main function is to provide resources for issues that effect military veterans, and veteran education resources are no exception. The VA can also help with education benefits for spouses and dependents, so check out your local chapter or the official website to get started.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) If you’re still in high school, or even already entering college, the military can still help—ROTC scholarships offer two-to-four year plans, and even living expense assistance (depending on your needs).
- Know Your Goals
Do you have big career plans to follow up on after your discharge? Or is the military itself your long-term career goal? Or are you still not sure exactly which path your career is going to follow?
No matter what your answer, the military can be a great place to find yourself. For one thing, with so many branches and job options, just working in the armed forces can teach you valuable skills (even a full trade!)—working on a college degree in your off-duty time means you could enter the civilian world fully prepared for success. In addition, the military offers career counselors and education services officers to help you with finding a career outside the services that matches up with the skills you have learned on the inside. - Know Your Options
Attending a four-year college on campus can be difficult, or even impossible, for a full-time active duty servicemember. That said, there are plenty of options outside of the traditional model that you may not have considered.
By providing all of the benefits of an education without the constriction of campus and conventional time restraints, online colleges are getting a great reputation these days. Through the convenience of e-books, virtual classrooms, and distance learning, a great education can happen anywhere in the world. Many online colleges are also extremely military-friendly, offering extra support and in many cases even special tuition rates and scholarships.
Another option is CLEP examinations. This series of tests can award you credit for professional development, military service school courses, travel, and independent study—and unlike diploma mills which falsely claim to offer the same thing, this program is absolutely applicable and translatable wherever you take it. - Know It’s Not Only for You
Did you know that this benefit doesn’t stop at just you? There are many options available that make education for military dependents a very real opportunity.
Spouses of active duty personnel can take advantage of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, learning applicable career skills in areas that will be in high-demand wherever their spouses’ military careers may take them. Meanwhile, thanks to the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA) provision of the GI Bill, even dependents of some veterans can take part in the benefit of education assistance.
Unfortunately, benefits for dependents aren’t as far-reaching as they are for veterans: there are limitations on dependents just like for active duty, and different states may have different policies for their schools and their residents. Before your loved ones apply, contact your local Department of Veterans Affairs and make sure you are clear on the policies as they apply to your state.
This article was written and provided by Sasha Orman of GetDegrees.com. GetDegrees.com can help you find information on thousands of accredited and non-accredited online colleges and universities.
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