Written by: Cody Brumfield
Published: 07/23/2008

New G.I. Bill Likely to Affect Veterans' College Choices

The Chronicle of Higher Education this week contains a major article examining veterans' college choices and how the recently passed 21st Century G.I. Bill may affect enrollment choices in the years ahead.

Under the original G.I. Bill, veterans have been much more likely to attend community colleges, where their benefits packages cover more of the cost, and for-profit schools, which are often more convenient for working adults. However, with increased benefits, many veterans will have the means to attend more traditional four-year colleges and universities.

In examining how best to recruit and cater to veteran students, The Chronicle examined five schools that have higher than average G.I. Bill enrollment.

Jerry Fallwell's Liberty University, for instance, includes a special section for military students on its web site devoted to distance learning. The school also offers book vouchers for undergraduate veterans and scholarships for those wounded in Afghanistan, Desert Storm, and the current conflict in Iraq.

University of Maryland University College offers in-state tuition to all active-duty personnel. In addition, the school has over 100 overseas classrooms located near military bases. By catering to active-duty service members, UM-UC earns name recognition that helps make the school attractive to returning veterans.

The for-profit Colorado Technical University also works to increase name recognition through donations of clothing featuring the school logo and attendance at military-related charity events. The school, which was founded by a veteran, also makes a special effort to work with technology firms and defense contractors to both recruit new students and to place alumni after graduation.

Other colleges, such as the University of Phoenix, offer special advisers that help service members turn their military training into course credit or higher placement. University of Phoenix also complements its distance-ed offerings with a 24-hour call center that is able to offer assistance to troops stationed overseas.

Related Links:

Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i46/46a00101.htm

Readers had the following comment(s) on this article:
07/24/2008	Dr. Randy Plunkett, National Director of Military Affairs, DeVry University, rplunkett@devry.edu
All institutions of higher learning would do well to prepare now for an increase in veteran applications; colleges and universities would do well to even court this population.    These individuals tend to be serious and very successful students, and they are determined to not only attend class, but also graduate from their chosen programs. Every college and university will benefit from the veteran perspective in their class dialogue, and the veteran presence on our campuses.   They view a college degree as another mission and will do whatever they can to acheive their goal, and their experiences provide unique insights into current global affairs. Welcome them!   There is no doubt that alll institutions of learning will be better for it!