As the military begins its drawdown process in Iraq, more and more veterans will be coming home from overseas. Some of them will continue in the military, while others will be separating from active duty service. Whether they remain with the military or decide to re-enter civilian life, many of these service members will want to start taking advantage of the educational benefits that are available to them in the New GI Bill.
Many military members already have college degrees, but they can still use the GI Bill to continue that education, if they so choose. Additionally, by going back to school, some vets may find the transition into civilian life is eased. Once a veteran or service member decides to go to school, the amount of choices in a wide variety of programs may surprise them.
The men and women of our armed forces have made tremendous sacrifices both at home and abroad since 9/11. That is why Congress has implemented a new version of the New GI Bill that covers many more expenses than it used to. The New GI Bill rewards service members with benefits that include tuition, fees, books, and in some cases, even a housing allowance.
Colleges have also begun to institute programs that are specifically meant for service members and veterans. They realize that veterans and service members who are returning to school from active duty stateside or a deployment overseas will have different needs than a student who is coming to college straight from high school. Some of the programs that have been instituted include special military orientations, tutoring and counseling geared toward the military and job placement offices for military members who will be graduating and looking for work in the civilian world.
Sometimes, even with years of work experience behind them in the military, trying to choose what path to follow after their service ends can be a challenge. There are so many choices that need to be made, from what kind of degree to seek, to what kind of school to attend. Some veterans may already have graduated from college and want to get a Masters or PhD in a specialty field.
Whatever work venue interests them, they will have help along the way to make those difficult decisions. Many companies now have programs in place that are geared toward helping military members choose a career path in the civilian world. Some companies are now allowing the use of the GI Bill to pay for specific training programs that will benefit not only their business, but the veterans as well.
One such entity is the software business. Now, vets can use the GI Bill to pay for certification exams in some information technology (IT) fields that are in great demand. Because the networking sector appears to be in a continual growth cycle, this is one IT field that may offer very good job prospects for vets who want that type of career. The GI Bill may now also be used to pay for certain apprenticeships in qualified fields. One such field is in the freight and trucking business. If a vet wants to enter this field, they can use their GI benefits to pay for the commercial truck driving apprenticeship.
Corporations like to hire veterans for a number of reasons, such as being able to provide military degrees. Many managers point to their work ethic, natural leadership abilities, and maturity, as just a few of the reasons why veterans make great employees. Combining these winning characteristics with a online school and new gi bill will certainly make military service members very attractive candidates on the civilian work force.