MOAA Take 5 Video Series

MOAA Take 5 Video Series

Five Key Questions About College

BLAIR SABO, MILITARY OFFICER MAGAZINE: Whether you are transitioning to college from the military or heading there directly after high school, there are five key considerations that you should look into.

First is, what is your career direction? Some of you might be able to answer this right away, but for others this can be an extremely stressful decision. Keep in mind your skills and interests, such as basic skills like listening and critical thinking, social skills like persuasion and negotiating, and any technical skills you may have.

Something to help with this can be a career assessment, which matches your skills and interests with a potential career. One to look into can be found at careeronestop.org.

The second question to consider is, what type of educational institution do you want to attend? Schools typically fall into three basic categories: four-year colleges and universities, two-year community colleges, and career technical, vocational, and trade schools.

Regardless of the type of school, always verify the schools you are considering do offer programs relevant to your career path. And also consider their retention and graduation rates, accreditation, certifications, and licenses.

Question three, what type of campus are you looking for? Consider a school's size and location, and whether it's commuter, meaning the majority of students live off-campus, or residential, meaning the majority live on.

Also look at what types of activities and resources are available to students. For veterans, it might be especially important to see if your school has a veterans' student organization or office, which can provide the specific tools and resources needed for the veteran population.

But to get a real feel for a campus, try visiting in person, preferably when school is in session. And if this isn't an option, many schools do offer virtual tours on their Web sites.

The fourth question is, what are the admissions requirements? You should be able to find this on a college's Web site. Look for application requirements and deadlines, and also the GPA, SAT, and ACT scores of accepted students to ensure that you are academically suited for admissions. For more information on college selectivity, visit collegeboard.org.

If you did serve in the military, time in many military occupations might translate into college credit. And you can also earn credit from completed service institute courses, training courses, distance education programs, or military occupational specialty schools.

To determine your eligibility, search for "ACE military programs" on the American Council of Education's Web site at acenet.edu.

And finally and perhaps most importantly, how will you cover the expenses of school? Most schools offer a net cost calculator on their Web sites which will project your annual costs, less any financial aid you will receive.

But to get started, you should try filling out the free application for federal student aid, or FAFSA, at fafsa.gov, which tells you what federal and state aid you might be eligible for.

Veterans should also look into the post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which will cover, tuition, fees, living expenses, and book allowances for eligible service members. Visit gibill.va.gov for more information.