Questions to Ask
Questions to Ask
Transcript
You're coming to a point where you need to start asking yourself some questions as you begin researching colleges and universities. What we plan to cover in great depth in a later module, because it is so important, is financing your education. But because it is one of the things you need to consider as you research colleges and universities, we want to touch on it here as well.
You may have concerns about how you're going to finance your education. Let's start with the most basic financial questions you need to ask as you're making decisions about where to apply. How much is this education going to cost me? You're probably not going to be able to find out exactly how much you'll pay until after you're admitted, but there are always ways to create a ballpark estimate. Check out the G.I. Bill comparison tool to start. Remember, the actual price of attending is usually far less than what you see on websites. Meaning the sticker price.
From there, you need to know whether or not the college or university you're considering participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. And if they do, how much they offer, and whether there are limits to certain programs. There is more information on the Yellow Ribbon Program on the VA website, but to summarize, the Yellow Ribbon Program provides matching funds, which are paid by colleges, and universities, and the VA that go towards your education expenses above and beyond what is covered by your G.I. Bill benefits.
Does the college or university you're considering have a scholarship office that can help you find additional funding the G.I. Bill and Yellow ribbon don't cover? You need to find as much free money as you can, and an office like this on campus can help you navigate where to find it. Check in with the financial aid office on the campus too. Where is the veteran certifying official located? This is the individual who completes all the paperwork necessary to certify your enrollment or changes to enrollment. They should become your best friend. Get their contact information, as you may have questions as you continue this journey.
The second group of questions you want to ask yourself as you are researching colleges and universities are more veteran specific. Before we talk about veterans specific services, you need to decide how important it is for you, personally, to have such services available to you on campus. Remember that each college or university will set up the services in a way that works for their campus culture, and you may have preferences of your own. You may feel you want to integrate fully into the student population, and don't find a need for veteran support services.
Or you may think you should have those types of services available, as well as a strong support system when you first arrive on campus. Whichever group you fall into, here are some questions you can ask. Does the college or university have an active student veteran population? Is there a Student Veterans of America chapter on campus, or is the campus a part of VetSuccess? Student veterans who have been on campus for a while can show you the ropes, and also help you when you think about your job search.
What about disability services and other medical support services? Is there a VA hospital or clinic nearby if you need those services? Find out if there is a veteran support office on campus, and where it is located. Check to see if they have a specific Veterans Center for student veterans, as this can be extremely helpful as you navigate the campus, and can offer you insight into the admissions process or financial aid, and provide a social setting where you can spend time with other student veterans.
Finally, you will want to think a little bit about transfer courses and how credits are used. It's a great way to begin to research colleges and universities. It is likely you'll be considered a transfer student, so you'll want to know how many community college credits you need to transfer, and what will actually transfer to the specific four-year institution in which you're interested. While the actual process of getting credit is determined by the registrar of the college or university after you're admitted, most can give you a general sense of what should be transferred.
Check to see if your particular choices have specific guidance. For example, if you're considering a California State University or University of California campus and are transferring from the California community college system, there are resources online to help you determine which courses you need to take that will be accepted for transfer. Many colleges and universities have articulation agreements that can help guide you to the right path to a college or university. Talk to the admissions office at a particular college or university, and see if they can help.
Remember that transfer students may face easier acceptance than those without prior college. As a transfer student, please keep in mind the following. Each college or university has its own policies regarding time limits of courses that can be transferred. Most will accept credits for general courses that are not specific to the students' major. And as we've mentioned before, most will not accept coursework from institutions of higher learnings without accreditation. You will also want to determine if the college or university will accept credit for prior military service.
In the end, that may not matter a whole lot to you, but it is good to know. If you decide you're going to a community college first-- always a good choice-- make sure you investigate honors courses. Taking classes in a classroom setting is going to serve you better than those taken online. You will just have more options. While online courses may not be accepted to your college or university of choice, don't feel like those credits are worthless, as many admissions committees use those courses as a marker of academic readiness.
You may have concerns about how you're going to finance your education. Let's start with the most basic financial questions you need to ask as you're making decisions about where to apply. How much is this education going to cost me? You're probably not going to be able to find out exactly how much you'll pay until after you're admitted, but there are always ways to create a ballpark estimate. Check out the G.I. Bill comparison tool to start. Remember, the actual price of attending is usually far less than what you see on websites. Meaning the sticker price.
From there, you need to know whether or not the college or university you're considering participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. And if they do, how much they offer, and whether there are limits to certain programs. There is more information on the Yellow Ribbon Program on the VA website, but to summarize, the Yellow Ribbon Program provides matching funds, which are paid by colleges, and universities, and the VA that go towards your education expenses above and beyond what is covered by your G.I. Bill benefits.
Does the college or university you're considering have a scholarship office that can help you find additional funding the G.I. Bill and Yellow ribbon don't cover? You need to find as much free money as you can, and an office like this on campus can help you navigate where to find it. Check in with the financial aid office on the campus too. Where is the veteran certifying official located? This is the individual who completes all the paperwork necessary to certify your enrollment or changes to enrollment. They should become your best friend. Get their contact information, as you may have questions as you continue this journey.
The second group of questions you want to ask yourself as you are researching colleges and universities are more veteran specific. Before we talk about veterans specific services, you need to decide how important it is for you, personally, to have such services available to you on campus. Remember that each college or university will set up the services in a way that works for their campus culture, and you may have preferences of your own. You may feel you want to integrate fully into the student population, and don't find a need for veteran support services.
Or you may think you should have those types of services available, as well as a strong support system when you first arrive on campus. Whichever group you fall into, here are some questions you can ask. Does the college or university have an active student veteran population? Is there a Student Veterans of America chapter on campus, or is the campus a part of VetSuccess? Student veterans who have been on campus for a while can show you the ropes, and also help you when you think about your job search.
What about disability services and other medical support services? Is there a VA hospital or clinic nearby if you need those services? Find out if there is a veteran support office on campus, and where it is located. Check to see if they have a specific Veterans Center for student veterans, as this can be extremely helpful as you navigate the campus, and can offer you insight into the admissions process or financial aid, and provide a social setting where you can spend time with other student veterans.
Finally, you will want to think a little bit about transfer courses and how credits are used. It's a great way to begin to research colleges and universities. It is likely you'll be considered a transfer student, so you'll want to know how many community college credits you need to transfer, and what will actually transfer to the specific four-year institution in which you're interested. While the actual process of getting credit is determined by the registrar of the college or university after you're admitted, most can give you a general sense of what should be transferred.
Check to see if your particular choices have specific guidance. For example, if you're considering a California State University or University of California campus and are transferring from the California community college system, there are resources online to help you determine which courses you need to take that will be accepted for transfer. Many colleges and universities have articulation agreements that can help guide you to the right path to a college or university. Talk to the admissions office at a particular college or university, and see if they can help.
Remember that transfer students may face easier acceptance than those without prior college. As a transfer student, please keep in mind the following. Each college or university has its own policies regarding time limits of courses that can be transferred. Most will accept credits for general courses that are not specific to the students' major. And as we've mentioned before, most will not accept coursework from institutions of higher learnings without accreditation. You will also want to determine if the college or university will accept credit for prior military service.
In the end, that may not matter a whole lot to you, but it is good to know. If you decide you're going to a community college first-- always a good choice-- make sure you investigate honors courses. Taking classes in a classroom setting is going to serve you better than those taken online. You will just have more options. While online courses may not be accepted to your college or university of choice, don't feel like those credits are worthless, as many admissions committees use those courses as a marker of academic readiness.