What To Look For At Veteran Schools
Regardless of what veteran school, veteran college, veteran university, veteran trade school, veteran vocational school or Veteran certificate program you choose, is right for you, there are some things to consider. There are a few aspects to look for that will make your transition from military to Veteran Student easier. Make sure that your veteran school of choice has a staff familiar with working with veterans. This means that the staff is comfortable working with veteran financial aid, including the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Make sure the school is accredited by the VA so that you can use your benefits that you have earned. Choose a veteran school that has a military personality. Ideally, your veteran college will have an advisor specifically designed to work with military veterans.
Special Counseling is helpful to and is another factor to help veterans be successful. When looking at a school, it is important to find out what veteran job placement resources are available and how many veteran students obtain employment. We also encourage you to make sure that the veteran education institution of your choice accepts your GI Education Benefits to cover the costs. In particular, the Post 9/11 GI Bill should cover your tuition and provide you $1,000 a year for books and supplies as well as tax free living expenses. It should not be necessary for you to take out expensive loans to cover your education. If you do need any loans, make sure you are not responsible for high rates of interest.
Unless attending a vocational school, as a veteran you will want your veteran college to have a wide array of majors and classes to choose from so you will not feel locked down by lack of choices. We encourage you to check out a variety of different schools to see which college or school offers the most veteran-friendly facilities and organizations. Schools with large populations of veterans may have designated veteran housing and school clubs or groups that meet regularly and that will help your transition for military to veteran education. Veteran-geared schools and colleges are some of the best options for veterans and should be taken advantage of as soon as possible. Don’t forget to also include in your analysis online schools for veterans and veteran distance education options.
It is also important that the veteran schools recognize that veteran students are special and have special needs. Many student veterans are older than other students and have had very different life experiences including deployment and combat. We encourage schools for veterans to recognize this and provide a support systems to help. Veteran student networking groups and veteran student clubs enable Veterans to learn from other Veterans. Choose a veteran school that has a military personality. Ideally, your veteran college will have an advisor specifically designed to work with military veterans.