Focusing On Education

Important Questions To Ask Before Enrolling In A Specific Military-Friendly School

If you are currently enlisted in the armed forces but are now back home, you may see the opportunity as a good time to continue your education at a college or university. Thankfully, there are several military-friendly colleges out there who are best suited for those in the military. However, not every school that is advertised as military-friendly will be able to offer you the best experience. Here is a look at three important questions to ask during your search for the right school to ensure you get enrolled at one of the best. 

What is the school's policy on deployment? 

If you get called back up to go mobile or deploy, you need to know that the college you are attending is going to make that process as seamless and easy as possible. Deployment and leaving your family is a time when you will need to be spending as much time as possible at home to get your affairs in order. If the school's deployment policy is complicated, it will take up too much of your attention and time. You need to ask things like:

  • How long will it take to file the paperwork for a temporary withdrawal?
  • Will you have to visit the college to fill out paperwork before deployment or can this be done electronically?
  • Are you going to be required to alert the professors of your situation on your own?
  • How will the process go once you get back? Will it be difficult to pick up where you left off?
  • What will happen with the partial credits you have completed if you are deployed mid-term?

Does the school accept transfer credits from your Joint Services Transcript?

Almost all military training is going to grant you some level of credits that can be transferred to a college or institution to push you closer to graduating. However, not every military-friendly school is going to accept all of those credits. Your goal is to find the school that recognizes as many of those credits as possible and will have no problems with transferring those credits. 

How many other veterans are enrolled at the school?

This may seem like a relatively unimportant thing to ask, but really it is important. The more veterans a school has already, the more familiar they are going to be with the needs you will have that are different from what a typical college enrollee would need. Plus, schools that have a lot of veterans are more likely to have things like on-site veteran services to specifically handle the requests of students who are part of the armed forces. 

For more information, contact a university like University of Maryland University College.


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