7 Questions Veterans Should Ask When Choosing a School
If you're a veteran considering attending college and unsure about what steps you should take first, there is plenty of help available.
The best way to choose a school is to start by finding a school in a location you're excited about that offers the program or major that interests you. Then find out if they accept your GI Bill® benefits. If so, research the school's reputation and see if it will help veterans succeed in their goals.
Where do you want to attend?
Think about where you want to live. What region of the country has the most job opportunities? If you're interested in tech, maybe you want to tend to school in the San Francisco area. If you want to pursue a government profession, perhaps you want to attend school near Washington, D.C.
Have you thought about an online program versus in-person? Attending full-time and in-person is usually a requirement to also qualify for the monthly housing allowance (MHA) for the school you're attending, but you can get pretty creative with your commute if that makes sense for you. Otherwise, you'll want to explore online programs and mixed-modality classes.
How long do you want to be in school?
After you've figured out where you want to attend, think about for how long. You'll need to find a balance between wanting to have job opportunities when you finish and not being in school forever.
What program are you interested in?
If you're not sure what you want to study, start figuring that out. Ask yourself questions about what you'd be interested in. Do you want to build on the skills and training you acquired while serving in the military or branch into something new?
Does the university you're considering offer the right program?
Many veterans get into a higher education program or degree that they aren't interested in and then switch over to something more interesting. So take the time and select a school that offers your specific major area of interest.
Do they accept the GI Bill?
Beyond the school accepting the GI Bill, you'll want to learn how veterans are treated at that school. See if they have a Student Veterans of America chapter, or if you can talk to a student veteran there. Be cautious about schools that seem like they might take student veterans for granted or worse: use student veterans as leverage to secure funds from the VA.
Do they participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program?
Some other things to look for are whether or not they participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program and to what extent? The Yellow Ribbon Program can pick up most, if not all, of the remaining tuition expenses above and beyond GI Bill benefits, so it's something to be on the lookout for.
What is the school's reputation?
How long have they been serving student veterans? Are they a public or private university? Are they for-profit or non-profit? You can read more about why that matters here.
You can gather all this information through a Google search of the school and reading the reviews. You can also review colleges and universities and their standing with the Department of Veterans Affairs on their website.
Choosing a school can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. The best way to find the right college for you is by thinking about your goals and what it will take to achieve them.
Ready to learn more about navigating the higher education system as a veteran? Start here.
