10 Reasons to Pick a Military Friendly School
Military students have unique needs. You need a unique school.
By Matthew Pavelek

Picking a school is a big decision. Making sure you find a program that’s right for your career goals is crucial since landing a rewarding job with a good salary is the ultimate goal of any educational endeavor. Schools that earned a place on the list of 2011 Military Friendly Schools have gone the extra mile to reach out to military students and provide the best programs and policies to help you succeed.

Why is that important? Here are 10 reasons:

1. Discounted Tuition for Military and Dependents
The GI Bill and state-level education benefits may not always cover the entire cost of earning a degree. This is especially true for military students who are not eligible for GI Bill benefits or are not eligible for 100 percent of the benefit, as well as military family members. Military Friendly Schools recognize these shortcomings and offer discounts to fill the gaps and ensure the out-of-pocket cost to military students is minimized.

Emily Foutz, director of military affairs for Liberty University (LU) in Lynchburg, Va., said the school offers several ways for service members, veterans and military spouses to save money. “These benefits include tuition discounts, fee waivers and free military book vouchers. LU also provides a Heroes Fund Scholarship,” Foutz said.

2. Generous Transfer Credit Policies
Many service members take college courses while serving on active duty. Military Friendly Schools provide the best opportunity to transfer those credits. Many schools even offer credit for military training and experience.

Alfred Ayoub, admissions counselor at the University of Tampa (UT), said UT awards 12 credit hours automatically for basic training. Students must provide their DD-214. UT also accepts up to 30 credit hours of CLEP examinations and DANTES.

“Veterans are able to transfer up to 64 credit hours from a regionally accredited community college and an unlimited number of credit hours from a regionally accredited four-year institution,” Ayoub said. “In addition, UT strives for a flexible residency requirement whereby veterans are able to graduate if they completed the last 25 percent of their degree at UT.”

3. Yellow Ribbon Schools
The Yellow Ribbon Program drastically increased the effectiveness of the GI Bill by increasing the affordability of many schools for military students – particularly private schools. Participating schools waive a portion of the tuition that exceeds the amount the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) matches the school’s contribution – often eliminating all costs to military students.

Ayoub, said the school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. “UT currently offers the Yellow Ribbon Program to an unlimited number of veterans and their dependents who qualify,” Ayoub said. “Students under the Yellow Ribbon Program attend tuition-free. Veterans are the fastest-growing population on our campus.”

The University of North Dakota (UND) also participates in the program. Carol Anson, the veteran and military advisor for the university, said UND provides up to $10,000 of remaining tuition and fee costs per academic year per qualified student. “This applies to an unlimited number of students in all programs at UND.”

4. In-State Tuition Waivers
Relocating comes with the job of serving in the military. Military Friendly Schools understand this and offer in-state tuition rates to service members. A. David Stewart, assistant dean of continuing education at Kansas State University, said the university offers in-state tuition for military and their dependents while they are stationed in Kansas.

Carol Anson said regardless of actual residency status, active duty U.S. military, veterans, North Dakota National Guard, and their spouses/dependents qualify for the North Dakota in-state tuition rate for all on-campus and online academic programs at UND.

5. Dedicated Veteran Counselors and Staff
Let’s face it, trying anything new is always a little challenging at first. Leaving the military and going to college is no different. The best way to make new experiences easier is to talk to someone who knows the complexities of military education benefits. Many schools have full-time counselors devoted strictly to military students. These advisors know how to navigate the paperwork to ensure you get the VA education benefits you earned.

Foutz said the Liberty University Military Affairs Office has a staff of more than 20 employees that serve over 15,000 military and veteran students. “This office provides services such as military and veteran benefit counseling, the awarding of special military benefits and scholarships offered by the university, and assistance with the transition from service member to student,” Foutz said.

Some schools offer training to faculty and staff to help them understand the military culture and the needs of military students. Ayoub said the University of Tampa recently formed a veteran advisory committee. One result was the creation of orientation just for veterans. “The ultimate goal is to help veterans learn how to best navigate the UT campus to succeed,” Ayoub said.

6. Special Policies for Deployments
Most Military Friendly Schools don’t penalize military students who may be called back to service.

Liberty University is one of them. “Service members who are deployed overseas, or given TDY or PCS orders that interfere with their courses are able to request a military withdrawal,” Foutz said. “Documentation must be submitted to verify their status, and approved military withdrawals result in no financial or academic penalty for the student. Students are able to resume their studies when their schedule stabilizes, either state-side or overseas. Service members often realize they have enough downtime while on deployment to resume their studies online.”

Ayoub said UT refunds 100 percent of tuition and related fees for courses registered in the semester affected by the call-up, in addition to room and board charges. Stewart said KSU has a similar policy. “Students serving in the National Guard or Reserves who are called to active duty during an academic semester are entitled to receive a full refund of tuition and fees also.”

7. Accreditation
Military students need to be sure the degree they earn is worth the paper it’s printed on, so choosing an accredited school is crucial. Academic accreditation provides students with confidence that a school or program can live up to its promises of academic quality and financial stability.

“A degree from a non-accredited institution may be considered worthless by prospective employers and work done at the non-accredited institution may not be accepted if the student wishes to transfer to an accredited college or university,” said Tim Willard, director of communications for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a nonprofit organization that recognizes accrediting organizations.

There are two basic kinds of institutional accreditation: national and regional. In general, regionally accredited schools are public and private, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting, two- and four-year institutions. Nationally accredited schools are often for-profit, career-based, single-purpose institutions, both degree and non-degree.

While credits earned at regionally accredited schools will usually be accepted by other regionally accredited and nationally accredited schools, regionally accredited schools will not always accept credits from schools that are only nationally accredited. So it’s important for prospective students who may want to transfer credits later or pursue an advanced degree to understand what kind of accreditation a school has.

8. Student Veteran Groups
Many Military Friendly Schools offer student veteran clubs and organizations chartered through the university.

Hundreds of schools host Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapters on campus. There are more than 250 chapters nationwide, along with a handful overseas. SVA helps veterans transition from the battlefield to the classroom by creating a network of resources, ideas and support. The group advocates on behalf of student veterans on the state and national level.

“Service men and women are moving back home and are starting classes and are finding that, while the cost of tuition may not be as big of a problem for as many since the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the social barriers are the biggest obstacles,” said Derek Blumke, co-founder and first president of the SVA. “They are then coming together on the campuses to connect with others with similar backgrounds and experiences, and again want to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

9. Flexible Attendance and Scheduling Options
Military Friendly Schools understand that not every military student will be able to attend classes on campus during the day. Kansas State offers eight bachelor degree completion programs, 20 master’s degrees, a Ph.D program and 17 certificates that can be completed through distance education. On-campus evening college courses are held during convenient hours to help meet the needs of service members. Most of the evening college courses are offered on an eight-week schedule to accommodate military students’ highly mobile schedules.

Anson said UND’s online programs give students “the flexibility to continue their education no matter where they may be located, with options of ‘self-paced’ courses, bachelor’s degrees and professional certifications available online or by mail.”

10. Understanding that not all Students are 18 Years Old and Single
Many student veterans have families to support and educate. For such students, Anson said UND has “exceptional support services, including Adult Re-Entry and Veterans Upward Bound programs.” UND also accepts military spouse and family educational assistance programs, including MyCAA through Military One Source.

Kansas State University’s Office of Non-Traditional & Veteran Student Services provides services to military members and their families who meet one or more of the following criteria: 25 years or older, married, a parent, a veteran, returning to school after an absence of three or more years.

“Staff members assist students in obtaining information and/or providing referrals in many areas, including admission, scholarships, childcare, housing, tutoring, refresher and study skills courses, financial assistance, health insurance, campus activities, community programs, non-traditional student networking, and many other questions/concerns,” Stewart said. “Our goal is to facilitate the non-traditional learner’s transition to K-State by providing the necessary resources to confront student challenges and concerns that are specific to this population.”