| Montgomery GI Bill Benefits | | | | 1. American Military University |
| So you are finally eligible to use your GI Bill Benefits | | | | 2. Central Texas College |
| and you are now ready to earn your college degree | | | | 3. Coastline Community College |
| or certification. | | | | 4. Colorado Technical University |
| The future looks bright! | | | | 5. Excelsior College |
| So what's the problem? | | | | There are many, many more military-friendly schools, |
| Finding the right college can be difficult. | | | | and even more that are not! |
| What's more difficult is finding one that lets you fully | | | | To save time, try out this college-finder for GI Bill |
| utilize the Montgomery GI Bill (mgib), or those | | | | Benefits. This site will find you the best college based |
| colleges that actively seek to attract veterans. | | | | on what benefits you are eligible for, what type of |
| Not everyone has the time to visit school after | | | | degree you want to get, where you live, and your |
| school or dig through college websites, - or worse, | | | | service affiliation. |
| spend hours talking to admissions counselors! | | | | They can even help you find colleges that accept G I |
| Here are 4 steps to help you make the transition | | | | Benefits for your spouse! |
| from soldier to college student. These ensure that | | | | Tip: If you plan to still live on base, you have a huge |
| you land the right college, choose the right degree | | | | advantage! That is why, it is important to find a |
| program - and use your military benefits! | | | | college that offers either distance learning for military, |
| Step 1: Make Sure you Qualify | | | | classes on base, or has a campus near your base. |
| Did you give $100 a month for your first year of | | | | Step 4: Decide what to Study and Major in |
| active duty? | | | | When deciding what to major in, consider what you |
| Do you have a high school degree or a GED | | | | enjoyed doing both during your military service and in |
| certificate? | | | | your past-civilian life. |
| Do you have 2 years of active duty service under | | | | With that said, the below majors (in no particular |
| your belt? | | | | order) are not only in-demand and growing, but will |
| If you answered "yes" to all three questions then | | | | likely overlap with your military experience. |
| congrats - you qualify (oorah!). | | | | 1. Healthcare: |
| Step 2: Apply and Plan to Use your G I Bill Benefits! | | | | - Healthcare careers are slated to grow by over 3.2 |
| Military personnel and veterans have a huge | | | | million new jobs in the coming years (according to |
| advantage over civilians - over $49,000 in financial aid | | | | bls.gov)! |
| available to use for tuition, books, housing, food! | | | | - Nursing and medical assisting experience or raining |
| But there is a catch - your benefits expire in 10 | | | | gives most veterans a leg up over the civilian |
| years. | | | | competition. |
| "Gee, 10 years is plenty of time- right?" Wrong! | | | | - If you were in a leadership role in the military, |
| You will be amazed to find that according to a 2007 | | | | consider specializing in hospital management. |
| Census Study on Military Education Completion, only | | | | 2. Criminal Justice: |
| 33% of veterans finished some college. What | | | | - You learned some very advanced tactics and these |
| happened to the other 67%? Wasn't part of your | | | | translate well into law enforcement - conflict |
| plan in joining the armed forces to not only gain | | | | resolution, security strategies, armed training. Consider |
| confidence and discipline, but to also get a leg-up to | | | | studying criminal justice with an emphasis on law, |
| paying for college? | | | | criminology, or homeland security. |
| You didn't give some of your service - you gave it | | | | - Prefer to fight the bad guys through advanced data |
| your all! So get all you can from Uncle Sam - you | | | | analysis and evidence gathering? You might want to |
| deserve it! Don't waste any time - fill out your GI Bill | | | | think about joining the growing field of Forensics - |
| application online at the Veteran's Administration's | | | | especially since it is projected to grow by 30% |
| official website - GI Bill VA gov. | | | | (bls.gov). |
| Alternatively, you can always call 1-888-GIBILL-1 if | | | | 3. IT, Computers and Engineering: |
| you need someone to talk to. | | | | - You used some of the most sophisticated gear in |
| Step 3: Find Your College | | | | the world! Multi-million dollar radar technology in the |
| Where should I go to college? How do I found one | | | | navy? Guidance systems in the airforce or army? |
| that lets me use my GI Bill Benefits? What if I end | | | | Maybe you not only used this technology, but were |
| up surrounded by poindexters? | | | | the one tasked to fix them as well? If you have the |
| These are very common concerns for members of | | | | techi-knack then why not earn a degree in |
| the military looking to transition to college students | | | | Information Technology or Engineering? |
| (ok - maybe not the last one). | | | | - And yes, like the other two majors, IT and |
| You need to find a military friendly colleges, one that | | | | Engineering is a great choice because they are |
| accepts your G I Bill Benefits and is also in good | | | | growing fields - about 17% (bls.gov). |
| standing with the VA. | | | | There you have it - now it is time to move onto to |
| For starters, the top 5 military-friendly schools to | | | | the next phase of your life. Get going soldier! |
| consider are as follows: | | | | |