Getting an undergraduate or professional degree will typically apply for enlisted personnel or in some cases LDO’s and Warrant Officers. There are many benefits to going back to school, and there are many options that you have to choose from.
When you graduate, you will have a degree in a specific Major which falls under several degree types (B.A. – Bachelor of Arts, B.S. – Bachelor of Science, and several others). One should always think about the career they ultimately want to pursue when choosing which major to pursue at a University – because each program will prepare you to go into certain career fields. For example, if you choose to pursue a civil engineering degree, you will get training in courses to prepare you for a career as a civil engineer.
Traditional Undergraduate Universities
General Information: Traditional Universities are located throughout the country and the world. In the last decade, there has been an increasing rise in Universities that offer degree options online as well. Each University is different and has its own unique differentiators, whether it be the location, the campus, the student/professor ratio, or the brand name. Typically, there are Public Universities (UCLA, Florida State, etc.) and Private Universities (Notre Dame, Stanford, USC, etc.).
Requirements: Most Universities have the same basic requirements, which are Transcripts (High School and/or Junior College), SAT or ACT standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and a basic application which each University offers through their own website. University applications are all slightly different, but in general, they will all ask for basic information/experience, your SAT scores, several essays on a variety of topics, and recommendations. Most Universities have application deadlines which they are generally very strict about, so it is critical to send your application in on time. A good resource to find deadlines is www.collegenet.com.
Preparation: The largest component of preparing for admission to a University is in preparation for standardized tests. Many services offer test preparation services (Kaplain, etc.) for a fee, and there are many books that focus on preparing for the SAT and the ACT.
Getting in: Getting admitted to top Universities in the United States is an extremely competitive process. Depending on which University you are trying to go to, the hurdle for standardized test scores and High School and/or Junior College GPA shifts significantly. The top Universities in the country will generally post the average GPA and SAT scores for their most recent class of incoming freshman. This is a good gauge for you to decide if you have a legitimate chance at getting admitted. With that being said, if your SAT scores or High School GPA fall short of the school average, you should not be discouraged. In almost all cases, school admittance boards give heavy weight to a strong military service record prior to college, so keep that in mind while applying.
Cost: Universities vary in cost to as little as a few thousand dollars for State Universities in certain areas to over $50,000 a year for certain private Universities. In general, public universities are significantly cheaper than private schools, especially if you are a resident of the state where your University resides. One thing many servicemen and women forget to think about is the impact of state residence – if you can change your state residence prior to separating the service, you should think about where you want to go to school, it could have a significant impact on your tuition costs.
In addition to tuition costs, there are a variety of other costs associated with going to college including books, lab fees, room and board, parking, and several others. These fees can often catch students by surprise if they are not prepared.
Options for payment: There are several ways to pay for your college education – but as a rule of thumb, pay for as little out of your own pocket as possible. In order to do this, you should look at the many different ways to get the military to assistance, get college scholarships, grants, and lastly student loans which ultimately need to be paid back by you.
Military Assistance: There are a few programs that you probably have heard of that help military servicemen and women pay for their undergraduate degrees. The most notable one is the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which pays a large portion of your tuition, depending on how much you have funded during your service. The other method is Tuition Assistance, which gives each servicemen and women money toward tuition.
Scholarships: A scholarship is a fund of money that is set aside to help pay for students' college education – in almost every case this money does not have to be paid back by the students. There are literally tens of thousands of scholarships available to assist students in paying for their college education. More specifically, there are thousands of scholarships available for military veterans who have decided to go back to college – the key is to go out and find them. With a little research, you will be amazed by how much information there is about scholarships. One good resource we have found is www.collegenet.com.
Grants Student Loans: A grant is a pool of funds held by the government that will help you pay for your education – most of theses do not need to be paid back. Student loans are a very popular way that students pay for their college education. In general, Student Loans offer students money for tuition, books, room and board at an extremely low interest rate. In most cases, the loans don’t need to be paid back for a significant period of time after graduation – and can often be deferred if the graduate is having trouble making payments.
Non-Traditional Undergraduate Universities
• General Information: Non-Traditional Universities can be a viable alternative for traditional Universities. The major differences are that they typically don’t offer the same experience that a traditional University offers (living on campus, vibrant campus life, social environment, etc.) and they typically don’t offer the same networking benefits that come with traditional Universities, which can be an important aspect of navigating your career. In addition, more and more courses through non-traditional Universities are being offered online, which can add to the convenience.
• Requirements: Non-Traditional Universities generally require high school transcripts, standardized test scores, and information on your past experience.
• Getting in: Most non-traditional Universities have Admissions specialists that will walk each prospective student in the process. In general, non-traditional Universities have lower thresholds for standardized test scores and high school GPA’s than traditional Universities.
• Cost: Non-traditional Universities' primary costs lie in tuition fees and books. Since many of the courses are offered online, it is not a requirement that you re-locate to go to school. The tuition cost of most non-traditional Universities can range from $5,000 a year to over $20,000 a year, depending on the school and what degree you are pursuing.
• Options for payment: Most students going to non-traditional Universities utilize federal student loans to pay for tuition. There are several vendors for student loans, click here to see some options.
Service Academies
• General Information: U.S. Service Academies represent each of the armed services in the U.S. military. The Air Force has the Air Force Academy which is located in
• Requirements: Service Academies have the highest requirements of almost all types of Universities. In addition to high school GPAs, SATs, and lengthy applications (including essays), service academies will almost always require a congressional appointment and strong letters of recommendations from a military officer. As a prior-enlisted serviceman or woman, it is critical that your military evaluation scores be high and that you can get a strong letter of recommendation from your Commanding Officer. Another requirement that service academies have is an in-person interview with a graduate of that particular service academy.
• Preparation: In order to get into a service academy, a student must start preparing far in advanced. The largest component of preparing for admission to a Service Academy is in preparation for standardized tests. Many services offer test preparation services (Kaplain, etc.) for a fee, and there are many books that focus on preparing for the SAT and the ACT. The hardest thing for many servicemen and women to get while applying to an Academy is a letter of recommendation from your Commanding Officer. This is something that you must begin working on at least a month before your application is due.
• Getting in: Getting admitted to Service Academies is an extremely competitive process. There are many motivated young people who are trying to get into the limited spots available for new entrants to academies. Service academies will generally post the average GPA and SAT scores for their most recent class of incoming freshman. This is a good gauge for you to decide if you have a legitimate chance at getting admitted. In addition, they will take a long look at your military service records, your awards, your experience in the military, and of course, your high school GPA.
• Cost: Service Academies have no costs – the military and U.S. government pick up the tab for 100% of tuition, books, lab fees, room and board, as well as tens of thousands of dollars in professional development training costs. In addition to going to school for free, all service academies offer a “stipend” for students that increases each year. Prior enlisted service men and women are paid on a higher pay scale than students entering the service academies right after high school.