Active Duty Military Taking Advantage of Online Education

Today's military offers a variety of educational opportunities for active duty personnel, and many soldiers are now taking advantage of these opportunities to obtain online degrees. With troops deployed in a variety of locations around the world, the Internet is becoming a popular tool for those seeking a degree while serving their country.

Programs like the Montgomery GI Bill and others allow active duty, retired and reserve military personnel to attend college for up to thirty-six months in order to obtain a college degree. While the actual benefits available vary widely, there are thousands of enlisted men and women who are currently pursuing degrees. The increased popularity of online degree programs has enabled active duty military personnel to take advantage of college tuition reimbursement to advance their careers.

Military educational benefits are available both before and after separation from the service, but military personnel need to plan carefully, as benefits used before leaving the service can affect the ability of additional funds later.

“Many military personnel don't understand what assistance is available to them or how to get the most out of it,” comments Darrel Hanbury, Director of Admissions for Virginia College Online. “Being able to take classes via the Internet while deployed is a great head start on life after the military, but using educational benefits while still in the service needs to be balanced against what educational opportunities the individual may want to pursue after leaving the service.”

For military personnel considering pursuing an online degree, Hanbury suggests two steps to ensure that their educational benefits are used for maximum benefit. First, meeting with the base educational officer to clarify long-term goals and the benefits available. They can also visit gibill.va.gov on the web for additional information. Hanbury also suggests consulting with the admissions office at Virginia College Online in order to develop a program that utilizes the military education benefits effectively. “Our people know the ramifications of using funds while still in the service and we will try to help the students make the best choices,” Hanbury observed.

Today's military personnel are taking advantage of the valuable educational benefits they earn for their service to the country. Learning about the complex military educational benefits program can save both money and time.