With the anticipation of summer, it might be all too easy to forget that May is Military Appreciation Month. But regardless of our anticipated vacation plans and the upheavals we might be facing in our daily news feeds, we do need to acknowledge the selfless commitment our service men and women undergo on a daily basis.
One way U.S. colleges acknowledge this commitment is by making higher education goals easier for those who are deployed. Many transition from active service, veterans, or even service personnel family members and their caregivers, which opens doors toward a college degree.
The Online College Boon
Surely, there are many brick-and-mortar schools that have built a solid reputation in supporting service-member students or have actually been established for military students. Colleges like American Military University serve this purpose specifically.
But the proliferation of online colleges, a sure, legitimate way to earn a degree these days, has proven to be a boon for military folks and their families.
The benefits of online study for service people are many:
- online classes and materials can be accessed from anywhere;
- ever more convenient class scheduling is readily available;
- accredited higher education;
- no residency requirements make it easier for service personnel, either still deployed or even transitioning into civilian life, to attend school;
- a good many online schools provide worldwide locations for logging in—for instance, the University of Maryland Global Campus, a school that has had a 75-year commitment with the U.S. military, offers 170+ global locations.
[RELATED: The Naval Academy Should Jettison Race-Conscious Admissions Policies]
Tuition Assistance
These days, both online and traditional colleges make earning a degree more accessible.
Tuition assistance for military personnel is offered across a wide range of portals. From Military Assistance (TA) to the Yellow Ribbon Program, nearly any U.S. college accepts military tuition assistance.
Many colleges also help out by giving credit for military experience and training; The ACE Military Guide clearly explains what is available in this regard.
[RELATED: Transparent Standards, Not DEI, Should Guide Admissions at U.S. Military Academies]
Family Members & Caregivers
While surely service people are most deserving of assistance and accolades, the sacrifices their families make are also numerous and unique.
Modern-day colleges work hard to make sure these folks can benefit from their unwavering and consistent family commitment.
Institutions like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can be especially valuable for active-duty service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependent children as they explore education opportunities. There is also a host of scholarships and grants available:
- The Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship is a workforce development program providing up to $4,000 of tuition assistance for eligible military spouses.
- The Pillars of Strength Scholarship Program, made possible by the Blewitt Endowment Fund, National Military Family Association, and the Kahlert Foundation, is presented by the University of Maryland Global Campus. The PoS is available for eligible spouses, parents, stepparents, siblings, and a whole array of folks who served as a caregiver to servicemembers or veterans who became wounded, injured, or ill while serving.
- Scholarships offered by the National Military Family Association,
Finding the right college—online, brick-and-mortar, or a hybrid of the two—and applying to earn a degree post-military job, increasing one’s earning potential in the private sector, and providing a secure future beyond the military for one’s family are all important and necessary life goals. Making this goal attainable is what so many of our colleges work hard at, as it should be the case.
And if you are not a fellow service member, a professor, a school advisor, or even a student friend, you can still show your appreciation and commitment to our military personnel by writing a letter of thanks. Organizations like A Million Thanks can show anyone how to send a letter to those serving in the U.S. military, deployed abroad, or even those service people recovering in hospitals.
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“Making this goal attainable is what so many of our colleges work hard at, as it should be the case.”
No, and never make the mistake of believing that they do.
They are businesses, and they exist to make money. You are only a customer.
Interestingly, some DEI programs assist veterans in having a successful academic career.
I wonder if Trump will manage to eliminate that, along with the rest of DEI.
And Adolph Hitler did good things for Germany — he built the Berlin subway system (still in use), and started both the autobahn and Volkswagen (“people’s car”).
Unlike you, I can even give examples…
…But the ends do not justify the means.