The U.S. has more than 1.3 million active-duty military service members and is home to millions of veterans. Many of these men and women have turned to online degree programs while enlisted or immediately following their service.
Studying online is often an ideal way for them to increase their depth of knowledge, boost their chances of a military promotion and maximize civilian career options after deployment, discharge or retirement.
I recently spoke on the phone with U.S. Army Master Sgt. Linwood Harrison, who says he was a Marine for four years and has been on active duty in the Army for the last 24 years. He is stationed in San Diego, California, where he continues to serve. Harrison says he took online classes over several years at American Military University — part of the for-profit, online American Public University System — and received his bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies.
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While studying online, Harrison was deployed three times and also battled cancer. In his current position, he often advises other service members from all military branches on what to look for in online colleges and universities and shared these five tips.
1. Explore withdrawal and leave-of-absence policies: Online classes may allow soldiers to remain deployable, stop and restart courses on a flexible schedule, study even while overseas or get a prorated tuition refund if they must pause their work. Prorated tuition only charges a student for the weeks of class he or she attended, returning the amount for the portion of the semester that remains.
Ask an admissions counselor about the school’s policy for military withdrawals, leaves of absence and prorated deployment refunds.
2. Choose a Yellow Ribbon institution: Active-duty service members have much of their tuition paid for by the military, but it’s entirely possible for service members to be discharged or retire prior to completing their online degree.
Because Yellow Ribbon institutions offer veterans tuition assistance, choosing one of these options ensures financial support to finish an online degree regardless of status.
3. Pick a program that mixes military and civilian students: Active-duty military personnel are generally surrounded by other military personnel all the time, but by taking classes online, they can interact with a more diverse range of classmates, including civilians nationwide.
This adds new dimensions and perspectives to the online learning experience and can help soldiers develop needed private-sector skills and vocabulary.
4. Seek a program with robust online peer support and military student services: Resources such as counseling, disability and career placement, as well as military student organizations, may be offered virtually to online students and vary greatly by institution.
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Even if these supports don’t initially seem important, they can become essential throughout the course of study. Many online programs offer Student Veterans of America chapters and provide peer support on common topics like leadership training, LGBTQ pride, grief support and post-traumatic stress disorder.
5. Don’t shy away from accredited for-profit programs: For-profit online programs are not allowed to send admissions representatives to Department of Defense facilities, Harrison says. Because of this, soldiers often overlook such options or view them as inferior, when in fact many offer reputable programs, services and support for active-duty military students.
The takeaway: Active-duty service members have additional needs and logistical complexities beyond the typical online student. Seeking the right school that balances flexibility, affordability and dedicated support systems with career-boosting online programs can help ensure a successful experience.
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Choose an Online Degree Program as an Active-Duty Military Student originally appeared on usnews.com
