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Those who serve in the military are expected to lead people, operate sophisticated equipment, and routinely make decisions under pressure. Why then, do some lawmakers consider these same highly trained service members to be naïve when selecting a college of their choice?
The education benefits offered to active-duty members and veterans are the best in the nation. In fact, these exceptional educational incentives are a major recruiting tool and one of the top reasons why individuals join the military. In 2013, approximately 272,000 active-duty, Guard and reserve personnel used Tuition Assistance benefits to enroll in over 800,000 college courses; over one million veterans used their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
With such a large volume of students using federal funding for school, it is quite understandable for members of Congress to be concerned with abuses and return on investment for the funds that are expended. Unfortunately, the quest to uncover unscrupulous practices and abuses has unfairly targeted an entire segment of higher education; namely for-profit colleges.
Although traditional state schools and non-profit colleges offer a wide range of educational alternatives to include flexible scheduling and online classroom options, for-profit colleges are attractive options for career-minded veterans who desire a wider variety of cutting-edge degree programs. According to William G. Tierney, Co-Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California, the benefits of for-profit education goes beyond flexible scheduling and online classroom options. For-profit education is uniquely positioned to partner with employers because focusing on careers is built into the fabric of for-profit education. They can respond more fluidly to booming, emerging fields because of their willingness to embrace new forms of learning like competency-based learning.
There are thousands of veterans successfully attending for-profit institutions. Many earned degrees at for-profit colleges while successfully applying for advanced degrees at state or non-profit private colleges and universities. Many of these veterans who complete their degrees with for-profit institutions are experiencing positive outcomes. In fact, four out of five of the top providers of education serving members of the Department of Defense are for-profit colleges (Bilodeau, 2014).
We can all agree that veteran benefits are important for our nation to attract and retain the best and brightest to the military. We can also agree that our leaders are placed in a unique position, especially considering public outcry regarding some nefarious treatment of veterans. However, painting an entire industry with a broad stroke has far more reaching implications than just education. How and where veterans should use their hard-earned benefits should be left up to those who have served. Veterans have earned the right to be trusted to make the right decisions about their benefits.
http://rly.pt/2kSKY1X
Resource: OUSD Voluntary Education Program Update: Dawn Bilodeau February 2014
About the Author
John Aldrich is the associate vice president for military and community college outreach at American Military University (AMU). John’s past assignments for AMU include serving as director for military outreach, west region senior manager for military outreach, and education coordinator, California and Hawaii.
Prior to joining AMU, he served as an education services specialist for Marine Corps Base Twenty-Nine Palms California; director of career services and job placement at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, Beaufort, South Carolina; education specialist for Navy College Programs, Sicily, Italy; academic advisor for undecided students and student athletes at the University of Rhode Island; and as a Naval Hospital Corpsman, Fleet Marine Forces.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Sciences and Services and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island.
Photo: Rebecca Roch, AMU Graduate of Securities and Global MA, 2009
The education benefits offered to active-duty members and veterans are the best in the nation. In fact, these exceptional educational incentives are a major recruiting tool and one of the top reasons why individuals join the military. In 2013, approximately 272,000 active-duty, Guard and reserve personnel used Tuition Assistance benefits to enroll in over 800,000 college courses; over one million veterans used their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
With such a large volume of students using federal funding for school, it is quite understandable for members of Congress to be concerned with abuses and return on investment for the funds that are expended. Unfortunately, the quest to uncover unscrupulous practices and abuses has unfairly targeted an entire segment of higher education; namely for-profit colleges.
Although traditional state schools and non-profit colleges offer a wide range of educational alternatives to include flexible scheduling and online classroom options, for-profit colleges are attractive options for career-minded veterans who desire a wider variety of cutting-edge degree programs. According to William G. Tierney, Co-Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California, the benefits of for-profit education goes beyond flexible scheduling and online classroom options. For-profit education is uniquely positioned to partner with employers because focusing on careers is built into the fabric of for-profit education. They can respond more fluidly to booming, emerging fields because of their willingness to embrace new forms of learning like competency-based learning.
There are thousands of veterans successfully attending for-profit institutions. Many earned degrees at for-profit colleges while successfully applying for advanced degrees at state or non-profit private colleges and universities. Many of these veterans who complete their degrees with for-profit institutions are experiencing positive outcomes. In fact, four out of five of the top providers of education serving members of the Department of Defense are for-profit colleges (Bilodeau, 2014).
We can all agree that veteran benefits are important for our nation to attract and retain the best and brightest to the military. We can also agree that our leaders are placed in a unique position, especially considering public outcry regarding some nefarious treatment of veterans. However, painting an entire industry with a broad stroke has far more reaching implications than just education. How and where veterans should use their hard-earned benefits should be left up to those who have served. Veterans have earned the right to be trusted to make the right decisions about their benefits.
http://rly.pt/2kSKY1X
Resource: OUSD Voluntary Education Program Update: Dawn Bilodeau February 2014
About the Author
John Aldrich is the associate vice president for military and community college outreach at American Military University (AMU). John’s past assignments for AMU include serving as director for military outreach, west region senior manager for military outreach, and education coordinator, California and Hawaii.
Prior to joining AMU, he served as an education services specialist for Marine Corps Base Twenty-Nine Palms California; director of career services and job placement at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, Beaufort, South Carolina; education specialist for Navy College Programs, Sicily, Italy; academic advisor for undecided students and student athletes at the University of Rhode Island; and as a Naval Hospital Corpsman, Fleet Marine Forces.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Sciences and Services and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island.
Photo: Rebecca Roch, AMU Graduate of Securities and Global MA, 2009
Education Studies
Transition
Command Post
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 13
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Has anyone else heard of the initiative to allow veterans to apply their GI education benefits to starting a new business? I think this would be a grand idea.
A college education is not the panacea for everyone and their aspirations. Indeed, many of America's most successful entrepreneurs never went to college or dropped out because it was getting in the way of their education. This is especially true in many (most?) non-profit schools where indoctrination has replaced education as their primary goal.
A college education is not the panacea for everyone and their aspirations. Indeed, many of America's most successful entrepreneurs never went to college or dropped out because it was getting in the way of their education. This is especially true in many (most?) non-profit schools where indoctrination has replaced education as their primary goal.
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I personally like all of the sound advice coming from this forum. In addition, I recommend that each individual should do some homework before attending their desired institution.
Go to the college navigator at http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ and run a search on that institution. Look at the default rate on student loans and the graduation and retention rates.
As a side note, I am attending Aspen University. It is a for profit school, but the tuition rate for undergraduate and graduate degrees are relatively low with college trends. I am paying $250 a credit hour for my Doctorate.
Go to the college navigator at http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ and run a search on that institution. Look at the default rate on student loans and the graduation and retention rates.
As a side note, I am attending Aspen University. It is a for profit school, but the tuition rate for undergraduate and graduate degrees are relatively low with college trends. I am paying $250 a credit hour for my Doctorate.
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