G.I. Bill Archives

As a Vietnam-Era veteran myself and someone who used the G.I. Bill to cover the cost of some of my early flight training, I was more than a little interested when June Olsen approached me about writing a story about today’s G.I. Bill (Actually, I’m always interested in aviation-focused guest post from good writers).

June recently graduated with a degree in educational psychology and works as a writer on all things education from her home in Bellevue Washington. She’s always interested in connecting with bloggers online too. You’ll find her at june.olsen80@gmail.com. And now, on to June’s story about what vets need to know about the new G.I. Bill.

Rob Mark

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When veterans return home after their service, it is natural that they would want to begin the next chapter in their life by getting the education and training necessary to join the workforce. After all, having a solid career is a great way to support a family and find personal fulfillment.

Many therefore avail themselves of the G.I. Bill, which provides tuition assistance to returning veterans. Veterans rightly see the G.I. Bill as a way to receive the training they need to have a successful career. However, the GI Bill does not always cover all tuition in all situations, and as a result some veterans search for the least expensive college program available. While this may seem like a good idea, particularly in light of the skyrocketing cost of higher education, it pays to conduct diligent research comparing traditional and accredited colleges online.

Some veterans choose to enroll in a non-accredited program. While this might seem like a minor issue, it is in fact very important. Many employers and certification bodies don’t consider degrees obtained at non-accredited institutions valid. In practical terms, this means that, for example, if a veteran received a nursing degree from a non-accredited nursing program, many hospitals or statewide nursing certification boards would not recognize the degree. This could be a significant problem: after several years of training, the veteran would find him or herself with a degree that is essentially useless in advancing his or her career goals.