| Members of the military have been increasingly taking | | | | branch of service and veteran's status. The funds |
| advantage of the online college degree programs in | | | | allocated by these programs can be used for |
| order to move up the ranks and advance their | | | | traditional colleges and universities or a variety of |
| careers in both the military and as civilians. While in | | | | online programs. Since online programs tend to cost |
| the military, an associate's or bachelor's degree | | | | less than bricks and mortar universities as a whole, |
| compliments their military training and adds valuable | | | | the resulting savings is even greater. |
| skills to their traditional training, while a college | | | | Online colleges are increasingly offering scholarships |
| education looks great on their resume when they | | | | and grants to individuals who serve in the armed |
| retire after they put in their mandatory years of | | | | forces or the National Guard and reserve, veterans |
| service. With many men and women retiring from the | | | | and their family members as well. These schools are |
| military in their forties, online college degrees give | | | | aware of the dedication and high success rate of |
| them an education that compliments their military | | | | these students and are eager to enroll them as |
| experience perfectly to give them a leg up in the | | | | students; courting them with financial assistance is |
| workforce. | | | | just one way they look to increase the number of |
| Online college degree programs certainly fit the | | | | military members they enroll each year. |
| military lifestyle. Why the popularity of an online | | | | Many cyber schools offering online college degrees |
| college instead of a more traditional bricks and mortar | | | | are now members of the Service Members |
| school? The most obvious is the convenience of an | | | | Opportunity College System (SOC), an organization |
| online education. Military personnel are frequently | | | | which has 1800 member colleges and universities. |
| relocated, but as long as they have access to a | | | | These schools encourage the pursuit of college |
| computer and an Internet connection they can | | | | degrees by military personnel by removing stumbling |
| pursue an education through an online university. In | | | | blocks caused by more traditional methods of |
| fact, many are taking classes today even while they | | | | pursuing a degree. Some ways that SOC schools do |
| are deployed in war zones or serving their country | | | | this include: minimizing loss or credit for transfers and |
| overseas. | | | | minimizing duplicate work, limiting or removing |
| Since relocation doesn't affect classes, military | | | | residency requirements for military personnel, |
| students aren't in danger of falling behind on credits | | | | recognizing national testing programs and or giving |
| and don't have to worry about credits transferring. | | | | credit for out-of-classroom learning and finally giving |
| The self-paced nature of many online courses is also | | | | credit for military experience. |
| ideal. With more leeway during each semester, there | | | | There are now dozens of online colleges in the United |
| is a bit of cushion built in for time needed for | | | | States that participate in the SOC program, giving |
| transfers or time off for military exercises or other | | | | military personnel the chance to obtain an associate's |
| commitments. Required school work can be done | | | | or bachelor's degree while they are serving in the |
| around the schedule of each person. | | | | military. With so many advantages to pursuing an |
| The costs are reasonable for military personnel in | | | | education online over a more traditional approach, it's |
| online education. There are various GI Bills that cover | | | | easy to see why more members of the armed |
| all or part of the educational costs for members of | | | | forces are taking advantage of online college degree |
| the military who wish to pursue an advanced degree | | | | programs every year. |
| based on length of service, amount of active duty, | | | | |