Many veterans have the financial resources for higher education with benefits ranging from Tuition Assistance to the variations of the GI Bill. Where they need assistance is finding the right colleges and universities that truly deliver successful outcomes for their students.
#1 – Is College for You Right Now? A basic step that is often underappreciated is making sure that the student is ready to complete college. This must be an open and thoughtful discussion because young people often feel pressure to get higher education even if they do not feel a strong desire or interest in going to college right now. An important fact to know is that college students who leave school with debt, but no college degree, are actually worse off financially than most high school graduates. College is a great step in almost any career, but only if you complete it, and even better, with a low level of debt.
#2 – Select Higher Education Institutions That Are Local, Physical, and Have A Large Student Body. Value colleges are usually large, public universities with a physical campus in major cities. The reason that these colleges deliver good value is that public schools have large student bodies which translates to many available major fields of study, a large alumni network for hiring and mentoring opportunities, and very reasonable tuition and fee requirements. In addition, value colleges are used to serving both traditional and non-traditional student bods so they likely have on-line and traditional classroom options.
#3 – Evaluate Schools Based on Educational Outcomes & Not on Marketing Material. It is very, very easy to get drawn into the glamorous marketing material that colleges produce. Scenic ivy covered campuses, the ease of on-line classes, and nationally recognized faculty members all make the brochures and websites irresistible. Military veteran students need to choose a college based on outcomes and not on advertising.
These eight criteria can help you evaluate whether or not an institution delivers on results:
1. Undergraduate Enrollment – Higher is better, especially if there are more alumni in your related career fields.
2. Retention Rate of Undergraduate Students – This percentage indicates how many students continue their education at the college.
3. Graduation Rate of All Students – The percentage of students who graduate.
4. Average Salary All Students – Salary following graduation.
5. Student Loan Repayment Rate of All Students – The percentage of students who successfully pay back their college debts.
6. Average Student Loan Debt – The average amount of student loan debt upon graduation.
7. In State Tuition Levels – The average amount of in-state tuition.
8. Educational Complaint Count – The number of educational complaints against the school, which may be a signal of poor financial standing, lack of compliance for accreditation, or deceptive financial/recruiting practices.
Once you have the information for these eight criteria, you should be able to compare the results against other academic institutions. This information is only valuable when you compare like measures against other institutions. The goal is to get the best outcome in all possible variables.
# 4 – Apply to 5 to 6 Schools That Meet Your Criteria with a Focus on Educational Outcomes. A focus on higher education is the only way to cut through the school’s marketing and advertising information to determine what your expected financial outcome will be from your degree. The goal is to find the school that costs the lowest amount, graduates their students on time, gets them employed, and has graduates that leave school with a low amount of debt.
#5 – Be Focused on Total “Net” Costs of Education. Just because a school has a low tuition level does not mean that the school will be the lowest in net cost. To determine the total or net education cost, a student must use the following calculation:
Net College Expense = (Tuition + Expenses + Living Expenses) – Non-Loan Educational Assistance (Calculated Over a 4 Year Period).
#6 – Stay the Course & Graduate on Time. College is hard, graduate school is hard, and so are other professional programs. When you make the choice to start your degree, make that commitment in blood so that no matter what happens, you will finish. Degree completion is the secret to post college success.
Summary
Planning for college is best done by looking at the educational outcomes that a school has delivered over time to their graduates. Marketing materials do not provide the discerning information one needs to choose an educational institution. Pick your college with a high graduation rate, high average post college income, a low tuition level, and a low level of student debt. Finally, once you have made the commitment to college, make the commitment to complete your degree as fast as possible.
APPENDIX: The Top 4 Schools for Military Veterans in Each State by Educational Outcome Criteria. Listed Alphabetically by State.
Name of College Or University | CITY | STATE | ZIP |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks | AK | 99775-7500 |
University of Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage | AK | 99508 |
Alaska Pacific University | Anchorage | AK | 99508 |
University of Alaska Southeast | Juneau | AK | 99801-8697 |
Auburn University | Auburn | AL | 36849 |
University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham | AL | 35294-0110 |
Samford University | Birmingham | AL | 35229-2240 |
University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville | AL | 35899 |
University of Arkansas | Fayetteville | AR | 72701 |
Harding University | Searcy | AR | 72143 |
John Brown University | Siloam Springs | AR | 72761 |
University of Central Arkansas | Conway | AR | 72035-0001 |
University of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | 85721-0066 |
Arizona State University-Tempe | Tempe | AZ | 85287 |
Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | AZ | 86011-4092 |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott | AZ | 86301-3720 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | CA | 93407 |
University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley | CA | 94720 |
California State University-Long Beach | Long Beach | CA | 90840-0115 |
University of California-San Diego | La Jolla | CA | 92093 |
University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | CO | 80309-0017 |
Colorado School of Mines | Golden | CO | 80401 |
Regis University | Denver | CO | 80221-1099 |
University of Denver | Denver | CO | 80208 |
University of Connecticut | Storrs | CT | 6269 |
Wesleyan University | Middletown | CT | 6459 |
Central Connecticut State University | New Britain | CT | 6050 |
Quinnipiac University | Hamden | CT | 6518 |
Georgetown University | Washington | DC | 20057-0001 |
Catholic University of America | Washington | DC | 20064 |
George Washington University | Washington | DC | 20052 |
American University | Washington | DC | 20016-8001 |
University of Delaware | Newark | DE | 19716 |
Wilmington University | New Castle | DE | 19720 |
Delaware Technical Community College-Owens | Georgetown | DE | 19947 |
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry | Dover | DE | 19901 |
Florida State University | Tallahassee | FL | 32306-1037 |
University of South Florida-Main Campus | Tampa | FL | 33620-9951 |
University of Central Florida | Orlando | FL | 32816 |
Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers | FL | 33965-6565 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | Atlanta | GA | 30332-0530 |
University of Georgia | Athens | GA | 30602 |
Georgia College and State University | Milledgeville | GA | 31061 |
Emory University | Atlanta | GA | 30322 |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu | HI | 96822-2217 |
Brigham Young University-Hawaii | Laie | HI | 96762-1294 |
University of Hawaii-West Oahu | Kapolei | HI | 96707-4507 |
University of Hawaii at Hilo | Hilo | HI | 96720-4091 |
University of Iowa | Iowa City | IA | 52242-1316 |
University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | IA | 50614-0005 |
Drake University | Des Moines | IA | 50311-4505 |
Grinnell College | Grinnell | IA |
The Professional’s Checklist
Professionals embody practices and behaviors that set them apart. I recently read THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO by Dr. Atul Gawande. I…
Read MoreManaging Troops vs. Managing Employees
"One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of our inner growth and empowerment."…
Read More