Planning to Go Back to College as a Veteran?
Follow These Steps to Make a Smooth Transition
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Transitioning from a life in the military to becoming a civilian is a challenging process. However, with the right support, this process can become streamlined. Going back to college as a veteran is a great first step towards reassimilating yourself into civilian life. This is because through college, not only will you learn the in-demand skills helping to make a smooth transition into a new career field, but it will also serve as a place to connect with counselors and develop a personal and professional network. In this article featured in stny.info/articles, we’ll explore the various benefits of going back to college and tips on choosing and paying for the right course.
Benefits of Going Back to College
Your institution will play a major role to help transition into civilian life in the following ways:
Access to Professional Support
Post-admission, you’ll be assigned a counselor/advisor that will help choose classes, understand graduation requirements and provide additional resources regarding financial aid, on-campus jobs, volunteer positions, and more. Having a professional academic advisor by your side will make it easier to adjust to life at university.
Better Job Opportunities
According to research conducted by APLU, individuals with a bachelor's degree earn an annual income of $52,000 on average compared to $30,000 earned by those with only a high-school diploma. Additionally, bachelor's degree holders have a higher likelihood (47%) to secure jobs that provide health insurance. Hence, an investment in a college education will not only help you earn more but secure your long-term health and wellness as well.
Choosing the Right Program
A quick glance at any college website will provide you with a host of programs to choose from spread across various industries such as marketing, finance, business administration, healthcare, etc. The process of choosing the right program will depend on the following factors:
The industry you are interested in. For instance, if you aspire to be a digital marketing manager, a degree in communications will provide the perfect foundation.
Job prospects in the field. Marketing, IT, cybersecurity, information technology, and banking are a few industries that have experienced growth even during the pandemic. Given that your goal will be to secure a job right out of college, research the job prospects of the industry and forecasted hiring trends.
Requirements for getting hired. Some jobs, such as digital marketing, don’t require candidates to hold a Master’s or Ph.D. However, this could be the case if you aspire to become a doctor. Hence, if you plan to not study any further than the current degree, look for programs that make you job-ready right after graduation.
Paying for College
Going back to school is expensive. However, there are various programs dedicated toward veterans to help make the cost of education affordable:
GI Bill Benefits: This is a program that provides financial assistance to veterans for affording college tuition. Veterans enrolled for graduate or college levels courses are eligible for this program.
Yellow Ribbon Program: While similar to the previous option, the goal of the Yellow Ribbon Program is to help veterans pay for out-to-state tuition, as it is often higher for students not local to the state.
Pursue an Online Degree
According to research by Educationdata.org, the average cost of pursuing a 4-year degree at an American public college amounts to $102,828 (including accommodation costs). In comparison, taking the same degree online can help you save up to 50% of the cost. By pursuing an online degree you’ll avoid paying for transportation, campus housing, meal plans, and a host of fees colleges charge for in-person services.
For those wanting to pursue a career in IT, a bachelor of science in information technology is the best option, and it’ll only cost $15,900 for two years! Other popular degrees to consider include a bachelor of science in finance or marketing.
Enrolling in a good college will provide the benefits of financial aid, experienced counseling, and the development of skills to make you job ready. If the high cost of degrees is making you tense, don't fret as there are plenty of affordable, reputed online programs at your disposal.
We wish to thank our article contributor:
Amber Ramsey
amberramsey@learnitforlife.info