As an active-duty service member, your commitment to service requires a great deal of effort and flexibility. This commitment does not have to keep you from furthering your education, but it is a factor you must consider. As such, enrollment at a military-friendly university is important.
Transferability
A career in the military typically requires multiple relocations. To ensure you do not lose any credit you earn at the institution, ensure the school has a good transfer rate. A lack of transferability means that you will be unable to transfer course credits to another institution should you have to relocate due to military service. As a result, you would have to retake and repay for courses you previously completed.
Semester Designations
Look for a university that offers traditional and non-traditional semester terms. Typically, colleges and universities offer 15-week semesters, but some offer shorter semester terms, such as 8-weeks. These shorter terms offer more flexibility in terms of start dates and allow students to earn credits faster. This type of flexibility is ideal for your busy lifestyle.
Drop and Withdrawal Dates
The ability for a student to disenroll from a course without penalty is regulated by drop and withdrawal dates. Most schools have a firm preset date for this option. However, some military-friendly schools offer an exception for active-duty military students who must disenroll due to a service requirement, such as deployment, and allow changes beyond the official date.
Tuition Assistance
A benefit of military service is tuition assistance. With this program, service members can take college courses with little, if any, out-of-pocket costs provided they complete the course. Unfortunately, not every institution accepts this program, and if you enroll in one of these schools, you may have to pay for coursework on your own. You have earned your right to free education, so choose an intuition that allows you to use it.
Earned Credits
Active duty military members engage in ongoing training throughout their time in service. Some of this training applies beyond the military and can be applied in the civilian world. A military-friendly university will give you credit towards your degree program for this training. Receiving these earned credits lowers the cost of your education and speeds up program completion.
A program that blends in seamlessly with your lifestyle is important to your success. Make sure you keep all these factors in mind as you consider a college or university to attend.
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