Active Duty, Reserve, and Veterans Going Back to School

Whether you are an active duty member of the armed forces, a member of the reserve, or a veteran, the recent release of the "Post 9/11 GI Bill makes this one of the best times to start going back to school. The military is supportive of members of the United States Armed Forces participating in a higher education program while in service, and there are military-friendly colleges that are willing to work with you.

Thanks to improving technology and Internet resources, online education has been on the up-rise in the past several decades. Online universities and nighttime campus courses allow military personnel to maintain their current regimen while obtaining their college degree.

An active duty member quotes, "I go to school full time and am currently serving active duty in the Air Force. One thing I can appreciate is that the Air Force is very supportive of my education and the school I chose to attend is also very understanding of my military commitments, last minute military obligations and such. Although I am only going to school for business, I am aware of two other active duty persons who are in pre-med school, a high demand course of study. Anything is possible if you have time management skills and determination. I have also taken online classes while deployed to Iraq; it wasn't easy, but I did it!"

Active Military Going Back to School.

For active military interested in starting their online education, the first step is locating your base's Army Education Center. For assistance in identifying your base's Army Education center, you can do a search on www.goarmy.ed, or you can call the Go Army Ed Information Center at 1-800-817-9990. They will steer you in the right direction. Mention that you are interested in a military-friendly college that is willing to work around you active duty schedule. DegreeGo can also provide information on military-friendly schools.

Military in the Reserve Going Back to School.

For military in the reserve, a campus-based schedule is potentially more feasible than someone in active duty. There are military-friendly colleges that offer hybrid education; this means that you can attend a campus and/or an online class at any given point in your studies. If you are called back into the line of duty, your degree can easily switch from a campus-based environment to an online environment.

Veterans Going Back to School.

Veterans that are looking to go back to school have the versatility of attending a traditional university, but may also benefit from an online school or a hybrid-learning school that would offer more flexibility around their current lifestyle. Military-friendly schools often have programs that are fully integrated with veterans in mind, tailoring their educational availability around military personnel that now are looking to utilize their financial aid opportunities and go back to college.

Regardless of if you are on active duty, reserve, or are a veteran, taking advantage of the benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill to pursue higher education is the right choice. With the military supporting your academic career, going back to school can be a rewarding and life-fulfilling experience.