Transitioning from being in the military to attending college can be a huge change! You will go from having an extremely structured day, everyone telling you what to do and making sure it's done, to being more self-motivated, making sure you attend class and do the work that is needed to excel in your given major. The great thing is that if you served honorably and for at least one term, you will be able to attend four years of college without having to come out of pocket!
The first thing you will want to make sure to do is to attend the transition readiness seminar while still being in the military. You will ideally do this at least 3 months before coming off of active duty. This will explain your education benefits in detail. A few, brief points:
- The Post 9/11 GI Bill will pay for 36 months of tuition, capped at the highest instate public university tuition.
- The VA will pay for your books, up to $1,000 a year.
- You are still eligible for financial aid! Don't forget to fill out your FASFA!
- You will be receiving an allowance for housing for the time you spend in college.
Anyone who is considering getting out of the military, or have already separated, they should really make sure to take advantage of every educational opportunity they are able to. It's a great opportunity to attend college, get your degree, and not have to take out student loans to get it done! A great reference for the Post 9/11 GI bill is http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp . Hopefully this will help anyone wanting to transition out of the military, and find something new to do while improving your life.
