The U.S. Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics released new data this week profiling military servicemembers and veterans receiving education benefits. The report, entitled "After the Post-9/11 GI Bill," looks at the enrollment patterns of military and veteran students utilizing the 2009-enacted Post-9/11 GI Bill, compared to prior data collected on Montgomery GI Bill recipients.
The report shows that there were nearly 1.1 million military students enrolled in undergraduate education in 2011-12, up from 914,000 in 2007-08, exceeding overall U.S. student enrollment growth. During the same time period, use of veterans' education benefits by military students increased among both undergraduates (36 percent to 55 percent) and graduate students (22 percent to 46 percent). The average amounts awarded to these recipients grew, as well, rising from $5,800 to $7,900 for undergraduates and from $5,600 to $8,200 for graduate students.
During the four years before 2012, the percentage of military undergraduates attending for-profit institutions increased to 24 percent from 14 percent, the report said, while the percentage attending community colleges declined to 37 percent from 42 percent.
In addition, both undergraduate and graduate military students participated in online education at higher rates than their nonmilitary peers. The report found that 18 percent of military undergraduates took all of their courses online, compared with 12 percent of their nonmilitary peers, Inside Higher Ed reported. Among military graduate students, 41 percent attended fully online compared to 19 percent of nonmilitary graduate students.
Related Links
After the Post-9/11 GI Bill Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2016/2016435.pdf
Inside Higher Ed
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/08/31/military-students-more-likely-attend-profits-and-online