Online Degrees Provide Military Members Much-Needed Flexibility

Flexibility is the key to any higher education program geared toward military personnel. Putting your college degree in the hands of an online program can be a safe choice—as long as you know how to select a program and college and use the resources available.

Military personnel seek out college degrees for various reasons: some want to advance through the ranks in their military career, and others want to prepare for life after the military in a different career. Hundreds of undergraduate and graduate degrees are available online, and choosing one can be daunting. The Air Force, however, offers resources for helping you choose your major or area of study, and also with tuition assistance. Visit your base Education Office and the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) website at https://veteran.com/afvec/ for more information. Once you decide—through those Air Force resources, visiting with a college counselor, a chat with your mentor, or a perusal of job postings for your desired career—you can then select which college’s online program would be best for your chosen major.

Getting a degree online has risks, but offers a multitude of benefits. Some employers used to view online degrees as ones that were simply “paid for†and not earned. That is not the case today, thankfully, because online programs allow you to access an education from anywhere and on your own time. Some “for-profit†colleges do not have a high academic standing but can lure students in with the promise of a super flexible program. Therefore, whichever online program you choose, make sure it is at an accredited college by checking out their credentials online and through your advisors.

A quick search for online degrees for military personnel brings up many lists of “military-friendly†colleges. This research is an excellent place to start looking for a program to continue or start your education after high school or undergrad. Military-friendly colleges offer various features:

• Financial benefits under the G.I. Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program.
• A discounted tuition rate for military personnel.
• A credit-transfer program that allows you to bring in credits from another college or send them to your new college.
• Military-focused areas of study or a wide range of other types of degrees.
• Flexible credit minimums that allow you to complete your degree on your time.

The government provides assistance for military personnel seeking a college degree, and it is worth it to check out these benefits. They can help defray the cost of an education, regardless of whether it is online or in-person.

If you earned a few college credits before you joined the military or during your military career, many colleges allow those credits to be transferred to apply toward the minimum required for a degree. You even have the flexibility with military-friendly colleges to switch to another college (say, if you switch duty stations or decide to enroll in a different program) and bring along your credits, so you do not start from scratch.

You can research a college’s program in your major before applying to see how it could help your career. I suggest looking at:

• Each professor’s resume and area of study to see if it matches your goals or interests.
• The list of careers graduates of the program tend to have after graduation.
• The list of courses required for your major and the syllabus for each course, describing what subjects the course covers in a given semester.

Some colleges, especially graduate colleges, require their students to be full-time or to meet a minimum credit requirement each semester. That is not the flexibility we are looking for as military personnel. You need a program that allows you to learn part-time and remotely while you serve in the military. That is why an online program at a military-friendly college is a great way to further your education.

Find an accredited military-friendly college with some or all of these benefits, and you are well on your way to achieving a higher education degree. The next step? See your college advisor.

Once enrolled in a program, colleges will assign an academic advisor to help you choose classes when they are available to meet the requirements for a degree in your major. Not all classes are offered every semester, for example, and an academic advisor should know that when helping you sign up for courses. If, for any reason, you decide to change your major, an academic advisor can help steer you toward another major where you can still apply your earned credits toward a degree.

Getting a college degree requires time, effort, and money. That is why it is worth it to do your research and find the right online program and college to help you meet your goals within your military lifestyle.