Attending college after leaving the military is one of the best ways to transition from life in the Armed Forces to a civilian career, and programs like the GI Bill make this much more affordable. However, veterans need to pay attention to policies affecting their enrollment – these are often to a veteran's benefit and so need attention – as well as navigate admissions systems that may have changed drastically over the past few years. Working with admissions advisors who focus on veterans' issues and programs is crucial for successfully getting back into civilian college life and succeeding academically.
Changes and Protections Due to COVID
Veterans can benefit from certain programs that were enacted during the pandemic relating to remote class attendance and other situations. Some of these programs are expiring, but extensions are always possible. Because the situation is ever-changing, veterans attending college should stay in touch with their admissions advisors to ensure they don't miss out on a program that could help them regardless of whether COVID is affecting their school attendance.
Testing out of Classes
The military gives veterans some very good skills that could help them test out of required classes, making it easier for them to graduate and making it possible for them to graduate sooner. Languages are an obvious subject to test out of, but if the veteran was trained in a language not offered at the college, they may still be able to apply their knowledge to the requirement (in other words, if they've achieved a level of proficiency in another language, that can still count toward their language requirements at the school even if the college doesn't offer courses in it). However, there may be other skills they can use to test out of basic classes such as in math or history. The admissions advisor can let them know.
Adjusting to Non-military Student Life
All veterans know that civilian and student life are very different from military life, but knowing that consciously still doesn't mean that every veteran subconsciously handles the transition well. While veteran admissions advisors assist with enrollment and other practical matters, they can also let veterans know about programs available through the college to help with adjusting and general life issues. When the veteran student adjusts well, creating a clear academic path becomes easier – and completing the path becomes much more likely. The advisor might not be able to offer counseling, but they can point the student in the right direction to seek more help.