Find the Right School for You
Transitioning from military service to life as a college student at a four-year institution can be a challenge for veterans. But most student veterans complete college at a similar rate to traditional students, according to a 2014 report.
Vets can look at these 10 traits for selecting a school that may make the transition smoother.
10. Staff Who Understand Veterans Affairs
Navigating postsecondary benefits for veterans, such as those from the GI Bill, can be tricky.
Veterans should be concerned if a college’s designated staff to handle veterans affairs doesn’t understand the basics since they probably won’t have a firm grasp on more obscure issues and benefits, says JR Cadwallader, a former Marine now studying at the University of Kansas.
9. Cost
Student veterans should consider cost and scholarships available, says Emily Ives, veterans program director at the University of California–Los Angeles.
Some veterans may be eligible for in-state tuition at public institutions in the state in which they live, even if it’s not their formal state of residence. And there are ways that veterans can afford pricier private universities, too.
8. Support Services
Veterans should consider what support services colleges offer just for them and for all students, including those related to mental and physical health, and housing, says Ives.
UCLA, for instance, provides priority enrollment and housing for student veterans, she says. “Those are two things that are extremely helpful in easing the transition to campus and ensuring that students get the classes they need to graduate in a timely manner.”
7. Student Clubs or Activities for Veterans
“There’s typically always some type of veteran club,” says Cadwallader, the KU student veteran. And if there isn’t, that’d be concerning, he says, since the school may not be trying hard to integrate veterans and familiarize all students with the veteran community.
He’d see if colleges had a Student Veterans of America chapter or similar group.
6. Flexibility
Some veterans may desire more flexibility than a traditional four-year institution can offer. Students can complete online degree programs anywhere, while community colleges may offer short-term certificate programs that allow veterans to enter the workforce quickly.
5. Stats
Student veterans can also look at statistics like a college’s graduation, employment and retention rates, says Ives.
U.S. News displays graduation and retention rates for schools ranked in the Best Colleges for Veterans.
4. Career Services
Something else veterans may want to consider in a college is advising and career training services.
Many vets choose to study business administration in college, but those who are unsure should ask themselves what they are good at and what they’d like to do, one expert told U.S. News.
3. Prestige
Former Marine Grant Royal, now a student at UCLA, thinks veterans should consider a college’s prestige, though he recognizes there are limitations depending on where people live.
“I want people to recognize the institution that I graduated from,” he says. He thinks veterans have a tendency to undersell themselves. They should follow the Air Force slogan and aim high, and then if they miss, readjust.
2. Fit
But while prestige is important, Ives, of UCLA, says veterans should think about their career goals, and make sure colleges they are considering offer the right programs and preparation for whatever path they plan on pursuing after graduation.
1. Commitment to Veterans
April Blackmon Strange, director of the University of Kansas Student Veteran Center, says veterans should look for colleges that have shown their commitment to helping student veterans.
“I definitely think it’s a red flag if the university doesn’t offer any veterans services — if there’s no kind of veterans coordinator, veterans counselor — if there is no veterans programs there,” says Royal, the UCLA student veteran. “I think that’s probably a really bad sign and that should be a deal breaker.”
More College Advice for Veterans
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10 Things Veterans Should Look for in a College originally appeared on usnews.com
