{"id":3431,"date":"2021-06-15T08:58:36","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T13:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/?post_type=advice&p=3431"},"modified":"2023-05-08T11:12:20","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T16:12:20","slug":"going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran","status":"publish","type":"advice","link":"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Back to School as a Military Veteran"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making the transition from life in the military to life as a civilian isn\u2019t easy. But there are many advantages to earning your degree after finishing your military service, such as improving your job opportunities and easing the transition to a civilian lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n

And we know you can do it! Studies show that veterans earn their degrees at a <\/span>similar rate<\/span><\/a> to non-veterans. Despite the unique challenges faced by veterans, one study showed that those who use the GI Bill <\/span>earn their degrees in sync with traditional students<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an overview of the resources available to veterans going back to school, plus some of the potential scams to be aware of and avoid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of Earning Your Degree<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Transitioning\u00a0to Civilian Life<\/b><\/p>\n

Going to school and earning your degree after finishing your military service can have a number of benefits. Some veterans actually find that attending classes, joining study groups, and finding peers can ease\u00a0<\/span>the transition into civilian life<\/a>. Many schools are even finding ways to specifically <\/span>tailor their programs to veterans<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n Some veterans actually find that attending classes, joining study groups, and finding peers can <\/span>ease<\/span> the transition into civilian life. Click to tweet<\/span><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/span><\/p>\n

Former military members may also meet peers at school who were in the military or can understand their experiences. Building a community and having a support network through your peers at school can make it easier to graduate and to transition to civilian life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improved Job Opportunities<\/b><\/p>\n

Earning your degree can also improve job opportunities. The Economic Policy Institute of Washington found that workers with a four-year degree <\/span>outearned their peers<\/span><\/a> with only a high school degree. Those with a bachelor\u2019s degree earned $31.93 an hour on average, compared to those with a high school degree who earned $17.25 an hour on average. Having a degree can be a game-changer in the current job market. A degree can also make the difference between getting a job that you do and a job that you love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Training in a New Field<\/b><\/p>\n

Going back to school also allows you to receive training in a new field of your choice. Many military members join the military at a young age, possibly straight out of high school. Teenagers often aren\u2019t sure yet what they want to do with the rest of their lives. As a veteran, you might want to learn new skills that weren\u2019t as appealing to you as a teenager. College is the time to learn those skills and put them to use in the professional world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources to Help You Go Back to School<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Being a veteran, you have access to more excellent resources than ordinary civilians. Here is a small sampling of them:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n A degree can also make the difference between getting a job that you do and a job that you love.\u00a0 Click to tweet<\/span><\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

Post 9\/11 GI Bill<\/b><\/p>\n

The <\/span>funding from the GI Bill<\/span><\/a> is in place to help veterans receive job training or go back to school after their military service. For approved programs, the GI Bill provides students up to 36 months in education benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Military Funding for College<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a multitude of options when it comes to aid for college. There are scholarships, grants, and loans that are designated specifically for veterans going back to school. For more on these, see part III of our financial aid series.<\/span><\/p>\n

DANTES and DSST<\/b><\/p>\n

While in the military, most service members receive training in specialty areas. Through the <\/span>DANTES<\/span><\/a> (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) program, military personnel can earn college credits for the training and experience they accrue during their service. \u00a0The <\/span>DSST<\/span><\/a> (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests), which are free for veterans, will earn you college credit, putting you a few steps closer to your degree. Less time in school means less tuition! For more see our article on\u00a0Credit for Life Experience<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Military Subsidies for Child Care<\/b><\/p>\n

If you have children, you can apply for <\/span>military subsidies<\/span><\/a> to help pay for childcare<\/a>. This can help you focus on your studies while reducing your costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

What to Watch Out For<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When looking at programs to go back to school, trust your gut. If something smells fishy, it probably is. There are a lot of scams out there for students returning to school, some even aimed directly at veterans.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n There are a lot of scams out there for students returning to school, some even aimed directly at veterans. Click to tweet<\/span><\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

For-profit schools<\/span><\/a> aggressively recruit veterans because they can make an easy dollar through the GI Bill. There are <\/span>grant scams<\/span><\/a> that give students fake checks to deposit and <\/span>financial aid scams<\/span><\/a> that offer to\u00a0file your FAFSA<\/a> (which is free) for a fee and to help you find other aid. Beware of financial aid scams and stick close to the recommendations made by the VA when using your GI Bill funds.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just a sample of all the information that there is on financial aid for veterans. Check back with us in the near future as we post more in-depth articles exploring how\u00a0veterans can use financial aid<\/a>, successfully graduate with their degree, and where to find scholarships for veterans.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

More About Abound:<\/b> We\u2019re here to help.<\/span> Abound: Finish College<\/b><\/a> narrows down your options and gets you in touch with schools that we can confirm are<\/span> Accessible, Affordable, Accelerated, and Advanced<\/b><\/a>. Take a look at the<\/span> schools<\/b><\/a> we trust and find the program that works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

More Helpful Resources:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cDollar Signs in Uniform\u201d: How For-Profit Schools Scam Veterans<\/a><\/p>\n

How Can I Tell if a Degree Program is Legitimate or a Scam?<\/a><\/p>\n

Beating the Confidence Gap and Earning Your Degree<\/a><\/p>\n

What is Accreditation and Why is it So Important?<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclaimer<\/a>: This article contains affiliate links to products and services. We may receive commissions for purchases made through these links.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s an overview of the resources available to veterans going back to school, plus some of the potential scams to be aware of and avoid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3432,"template":"","class_list":["post-3431","advice","type-advice","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","abound_advice_topics-thinking-about-grad-school","abound_advice_topics-career-outlook"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoing Back to School as a Military Veteran - Abound: Grad School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here\u2019s an overview of the resources available to veterans going back to school, plus some of the potential scams to be aware of and avoid.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Going Back to School as a Military Veteran\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here\u2019s an overview of the resources available to veterans going back to school, plus some of the potential scams to be aware of and avoid.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/advice\/going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Abound: Grad School\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-08T16:12:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/abound.college\/gradschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/military-student2.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"420\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/gradschool\\\/advice\\\/going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/abound.college\\\/gradschool\\\/advice\\\/going-back-to-school-as-a-military-veteran\\\/\",\"name\":\"Going Back to School as a Military Veteran - 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