Many veterans and active-duty service members run into roadblocks with their education, whether that's facing the difficult adjustment from military to civilian life or having to juggle responsibilities such as children or work on top of their academics.
"They are looking at going from very structured, very rigid, being told what to do, how to do it and when to do it, (to) when they get to college, everything is a free-for-all," says Brandie Weaver, assistant director for military and veteran services at Virginia Peninsula Community College. "Admissions says, 'You need to do this,' but doesn't necessarily provide clear direction and it frustrates veterans. It could cause them to not want to pursue (a degree) because they feel they are getting the runaround or they just have no clue what to do."
Not every college or university is designed to fit the needs of this student population, but here's what to look for to determine if a school is veteran- or military-friendly.
Signs of a Military-Friendly College
While putting together a list of colleges, veterans and active-duty service members should research whether a school enrolls other military-affiliated students, accepts education benefits reserved for them, has a military and veteran affairs office on campus and provides college credit for military training.
Enrolls Other Military-Affiliated Students
Having other veterans enrolled at an institution is a good sign. But there "should be some students who are willing to be trailblazers a little bit and be the first ones to go to some of these more selective schools," says Catharine Bond Hill, managing director of Ithaka S+R, a research arm of a New York-based not-for-profit organization that promotes innovation in higher education.
"Selective schools are selective because they have lots of resources, so there are lots of opportunities if they actually go to those schools," she adds. "They have to decide that they are willing to give that a try if the school itself doesn't have a long history of having recruited veterans. But if they are committed to doing it, then there are best practices out there. Schools that start taking veterans often talk to other schools that have veterans and figure out what it is they need to do to support them when they come."
Accepts Education Benefits
Veterans have access to several tuition assistance benefits, such as the post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty. The amount of financial benefits that a veteran can qualify for under the former, for instance, varies based on length of service.
To be eligible for the maximum amount, veterans must have served in active duty for at least 36 months, received a Purple Heart after Sep. 11, 2001 or been discharged due to a service-connected disability after 30 days of consecutive service. The maximum benefit covers the full cost of public in-state tuition and fees and provides a stipend for housing, books and supplies. Rates are capped for private schools and foreign institutions, currently covering about $26,000 in tuition and fees.
The Montgomery GI Bill, on the other hand, pays a monthly stipend based on the type of education or training a veteran is receiving and the number of courses taken. For 2023, veteran students enrolled full time can receive up to about $2,200 each month.
"Always check with your state department of veteran services because they may also have additional benefits on top of those federal benefits," Weaver says.
Has a Veteran and Military Office on Campus
Many colleges have military and veteran resource centers on campus to ease the transition to academic life and serve as a space to interact with other military-connected students.
Virginia Peninsula Community College, for instance, hosts Paws for Purple Hearts, in which service dogs are brought to the school's Military and Veteran Services office every few months to ease anxiety. The program is open to the entire campus.
The community college is in the process of launching Green Zone training for faculty and staff, which prepares them to understand and support the experiences of service members, veterans and their families.
"They are coming into a college of traditional students a lot of the times and they are not really relating to the 18- and 19-year olds," Weaver says. "They've had this world experience. They may have seen combat. They may be experiencing PTSD or have TBI and they have a hard time relating to the other folks on campus. That's why it's so important to have this specialized military office that is able to assist them and they have a safe place to go."
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and TBI, also known as a traumatic brain injury, can affect someone's mental, physical and cognitive abilities.
Meanwhile in Alabama, Auburn University's Veterans Resource Center offers the Auburn Warrior Orientation and Learning program, or AWOL. As part of this program, older veterans serve as advisers to new veteran students and answer questions related to campus life.
"We try to ease that transition because what's important to them, as we see it, is not singing the song and getting an Auburn T-shirt," says Paul Esposito, director of the Veterans Resource Center, a 30-year veteran and a U.S. Navy captain. "It is, 'Where is financial aid? Where are scholarships? Where is parking? Where can I get a job? Where can I get housing? What can you do to help me with my transition?'"
Provides College Credit for Military Training
Some schools grant college credit for on-the-job military training. Although it's a way to reduce cost and time to degree, the amount of credits awarded shouldn't be the deciding factor in where to attend college, Bond Hill says.
"You are going to have more opportunities with a degree coming out of some institutions than out of some others," she says. "But also you are more likely to graduate if you go to some institutions rather than some others. So choosing one institution just because they are going to give you two or three credits for your military experience may not be the right decision. Getting good advice on that is really important."
Tips for Applying to College as a Veteran
Every military base has educational service officers, so it's important to use them as a resource and set a plan before leaving the service – whether that's attending a vocational school, community college or large state university, Esposito says.
"The worst thing you can do as a young veteran with a goal of education is to have no plan. Have an idea of what you want to do and where you want to do it," he says. "Make that decision early. Then get into the 'What benefits have I earned?' and 'How much is it going to cost?'"
Some organizations offer support during the college application process. Service to School, for instance, provides free college and graduate school admissions counseling to veterans and military members. Current military-affiliated students can also serve as a resource, experts say.
"If you don't know where to start, always just find that one point of contact to go to, whether it's admissions or at a veteran center," Weaver says. "You can always find somebody who's going to be able to help."
While researching schools, veterans should pay attention to student outcomes, including graduation rates and post-graduation employment, Bond Hill says. Student veterans are underrepresented at colleges with the highest graduation rates: Only 10% of GI Bill recipients attend four-year institutions with six-year graduation rates above 70%, compared to 21% of the overall student population, according to a 2019 Ithaka S+R research report.
Top-Ranked Colleges for Veterans
Below is a look at the No.1 schools for veterans in each U.S. News ranking category. These rankings are based on a methodology that takes into account institutions' enrollment of veterans and active-duty service members, and their available education benefits.
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