Military Education Benefits for College: A Comprehensive Guide for Military Members, Veterans, and Their Dependents

By Edmund J. Lizotte and David J. Renza

Every branch of the American military provides opportunities for educational benefits and ways to attend college at either no cost or at a cost far below published tuition rates. No military member, veteran, or dependent should have to go through school without knowing what their benefits are or how to obtain them. 'Military Education Benefits for College' guides you in how to access, utilize, and take advantage of your benefits so you can earn the degree you deserve.

As a retention non-commissioned officer in the Army National Guard, co-author David J. Renza witnessed firsthand how these education benefits were used as a bargaining tool to encourage people to enlist and/or remain in the military. He also discovered that the vast majority of military personnel, veterans, and their dependents are unaware of what is available to them, and where to find answers to their questions. They needed help.

Co-author Lt. Col. Edmund J. Lizotte (Ret.), Director of the Military Program at Post University (and former commander of a recruiting battalion), reached the same conclusion. Lizotte encountered a large population of eligible personnel, many of whom had put off using their education benefits during their military careers. Those who tried to attend college often became confused and discouraged by the perplexing enrollment process required to obtain education benefits.

Together, Renza and Lizotte have produced a comprehensive, readable, informative, and indispensable step-by-step guide into every facet of the education journey. From the enrollment process and the classroom experience to the procurement of benefits and determining which type of degree is right for which type of job, 'Military Education Benefits for College' sheds light on the experience of higher education for service-connected students. Their book also dispels myths about the college experience and offers insight from two former military members who have the unique perspective of military admissions counselors and veteran students still using their education benefits to this day.

You have qualified on your weapon and you have passed your physical training test. With 'Military Education Benefits for College', you can now improve the most powerful weapon of all—your mind!

About the Authors: David J. Renza is a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Connecticut Army National Guard for twelve years. As a combat medic, he was deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after September 11, 2001. He is a three-time winner of the Army Achievement Medal, and is a recipient of the Army Commendation Medal for his work as a retention NCO. Renza holds a Master’s of Arts from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. He is currently a Military Enrollment Counselor with Post University.

Lt. Col. Edmund J. Lizotte is a U.S. Army veteran with twenty-five years of service. He has held various positions throughout his career, from platoon and scout platoon leader to battalion and brigade operations officer, recruiting battalion commander, and state logistics officer. Lizotte has received two Meritorious Service medals, five Army Commendation medals, and four Army Achievement medals. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Massachusetts and is a graduate of both the Combined Arms Staff and Services School and the Army Command and General Staff College. He currently serves as the Director of Military Programs at Post University.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Savas Beatie
• Release date: May 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9781611210538

Book preview

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© 2010 by David J. Renza and Edmund J. Lizotte

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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First edition, first printing

ISBN-13: 978-1-932714-79-1

eISBN-13: 978-1-61121-053-8

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Front Cover: Mathias Wilson

Interior artwork by David Sanangelo

Proudly printed and bound in the United States of America.

To my family and friends, in particular my parents who have been extremely supportive of me in my pursuit of success.

And to those who have served our country and those who continue to serve with honor, protecting our peace and the liberties we enjoy.

And to my grandfathers who served in World Wars I and II, and my good friends from the 143rd FSB, who were an honor and pleasure to serve with.

—David J. Renza

This book is dedicated to all the young men and women, who selflessly choose to take up the mantle of Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airman and defend our way of life; and to those who support their servicemember.

I also dedicate this book to my Father, who started our family tradition of service by serving our country during WWII; my brother, who continued the tradition while serving our country in Vietnam; and to my sons, who served our country during OIF/OEF and who are now using their GI Bill benefits to earn their college degrees.

—Lt. Col. Edmund J. Lizotte, (Ret.)

Contents

Introduction / Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Why Going to College is the Right Choice

Chapter 2: How Do I Begin?

Chapter 3: What Degree Program is Right for Me?

Chapter 4: How Do I Select a School?

Chapter 5: The College Admissions Process

Chapter 6: How Do I Pay for College?

Chapter 7: What Can I Expect as a College Student?

Chapter 8: Serving While Studying

Conclusion: Congratulations—You Did It! Now What?

Appendices: Checklists and Questions to Ask

References

Website List

Introduction

We have utilized our education benefits to help shape our own careers inside and outside of the military. Our hope now, since you are holding this book in your hands, is that we can help you do the same.

Military Education Benefits for College will assist you each step of the way by helping to remove some of the confusion surrounding education benefits and the college experience as a whole for service connected students (SCS). Some people approach school with apprehension, while others are simply paraylized by indecision with the thought of preparing for higher education. Obtaining a college education for some service connected students is about as scary as a new recruit going through basic training (yes, we have been told that!). It should not be, and doesn’t have to be this way, however. The college experience—regardless of whether you are in the military, a veteran, or are a dependent of someone who is—should be and can be a rewarding and engaging experience. Like anything worthwhile, it will be difficult and challenging at times, and perhaps downright frustrating at others, but ultimately it will help you achieve your personal and professional goals. And for many of you, it will change your lives in ways you never thought imaginable.

A words about this book. First, it will offer you reassurance that you have made the right decision by choosing to begin—or for some of you, complete—your education. The dynamics of the changing industries and technology mean that earning your degree is now a requirement. You can not longer afford to leave your time in service or let your education benefits run out without an education to show for it.

Next, we will help you get started with the entire process. We will walk you through the admissions process and make certain that you are armed with all of the paperwork you will need to complete your college admission as quickly and painlessly as possible. We will also help you choose a school and a degree program that’s right for you. Choosing a solid program will help ensure you that you can utilize your certificate or degree with the best possibility for positive results, whether you are looking for promotion in your current career or within your branch of the service, or a new opportunity altogether. Choosing the right school will ensure that pursuing that degree or certificate is as rewarding an experience as it can be, and makes it more likely that you, the service connected student, have the support you need to be successful.

We will also help you through the payment process. The majority of people who join the military do so with the intent of using their education benefits, but few know exactly what’s out there for them or where to find access to them. This book sheds light on that thorny subject.

Finally, we will walk you through the college experience. What does it take to be a successful student? How do you get acclimated to the college experience? Our advice contained in this book is based upon our combined experiences from real case scenarios we have dealt with in miltitary-related admissions. We realized that acadamia is an entirely new world for many of you; trust us, it is completely different from anything you may have encountered in the service. Finally, we will help you consider some decisions you may come across when you are finished with your education. So whether you have never been to college before, have gone and dropped or transferred out, or just want to explore your options, there is something in this book for everyone with a military-related background.

Although there are other books available, most are out of date and only touch lightly on too many important areas. Other information can be found on the Internet, but can you trust it? Is it up to date? And do you have the time and energy to search and find quality material from literally dozens of websites, and then integrate it for your own personal use?

We wrote Military Education Benefits for College with these thoughts in mind and for two key reasons. First, our job experience is the college admissions process because both of us are admissions counselors. We deal daily with the educational-related challenges that military students face. Not only do we both work with military, veteran, and dependent student populations, but we also worked with recruiting and retention during our active-duty military careers and have used—and are still using—our own military education benefits.

Second, we believed it was important that we write this book because we feel very strongly about one important theme you will hear over and over: If you are able to pursue your education now, get it done!

Don’t wait, don’t pause, don’t deviate from the goal you have set for yourself, whether it’s a training license to drive a truck or a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a certificate in human resources management, or a doctorate in psychology. Don’t hesitate in getting started and see it through all the way, if only for this one simple reason: If not now, when?

Especially if you are young or still in your early years in the military, putting off starting college often seems an attractive choice. After all, you are learning your military occupation and getting used to your duty station. You won’t be retired for perhaps two or more decades. After that, you tell yourself, you can find the time to use your GI Bill benefits. By that time (or before) you will have a family to worry about and many other things that come along with age and experience. If you have ten reasons now why it is not a good time to go to school, the odds are that you will have 100 good reasons why it won’t be a good time in the future.

The road might be long, but we promise to help you navigate it and, like your military career, with hard work, dedication, and perseverance you will succeed. We can’t guarantee you success—that part is up to you. However, we can show you from our own personal experiences as students and admissions counselors for Service Connected Students that if you follow our guidelines and put forth your best effort, you will have an excellent chance of achieving your ultimate goal of a college education.

And when that day comes, you will be able to proudly stand up in front of your family, friends, co-workers or unit, and beam with pride in knowing that you just helped improve your most important weapon—your mind!

Acknowledgments

We would like to take this opportunity to thank many wonderful people for their assistance, advice, and support.

First and foremost we thank our publisher Savas Beatie, which publishes a deep and varied line of military-related titles. A special thanks to two individuals in particular: Marketing Director Sarah Keeney for her tireless devotion to making sure our message gets out to as many people as possible, and to Managing Director Theodore P. Savas for sharing our vision from the start. Ted realized the critical need for a book like this, and put a lot on the line to make this happen.

The staff at Post University deserves a special nod of thanks, in particular Drs. Kenneth Zirkle and Thomas Sampf for offering their advice and support from before we wrote a single word and for allowing us to use relevant forms for examples in this book. Francis Mulgrew and Veronica Marrero allowed us the time necessary to complete the writing process. Thanks also to Barry Zucker and Ryan Tiscia for the photographs, Tom Van Stone for technological advice, and Post University student Chris Williams for setting up the blog and website.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the various Education Support Offices answered our questions, and in particular helped keep us informed about ongoing changes to the post-9/11 Bill and assisted in producing what we hope will be the best resource for Service Connected Students.

Many Service Connected Students volunteered their time to help us, in particular those from the Waterbury, Connecticut, Military Recruiting Station, 395th CSSB in Iraq, and the Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Tennessee Army National Guard members who were willing to be photographed and interviewed. They shared their stories and experiences with us and embody the true meaning of Chapter 8—Serving While Studying!

Finally, we would like to thank the following individuals for helping make this vision a reality in the formative stages: David SanAngelo, for his amazing talent in bringing Sergeant Student and Colonel Classroom to life; Carol Renza, Anthony Gallo, Esq., and Peter Zezima, CPA, for their business advice; and a special thank you to Bill Kelly and Dr. Michael Alfano from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education for helping us recognize the need for this book through our experiences.

CHAPTER 1

Why Going to College is the Right Choice

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

—William Jennings Bryan

The First Step

If you have purchased this book, chances are you have made the decision to begin attending school for the first time or, for some of you, to continue with some unfinished business. Making the decision to explore the possibility of education can be a daunting task. Consider the seemingly endless amount of paperwork and research you will have to do in the very near future—and we’re not even talking about the classroom! We want to commend you for taking the first step to at least consider going to school and using the education benefits that are available to you.

In case you need to be reminded, you are a recipient of these benefits because you or someone close to you currently or at one point in time was an active member of the military. Your benefits weren’t free. Chances are you or someone in your family had to work very hard to earn these benefits, and at some point in time you or someone close to you endured parting ways with a loved one. In the case of survivor benefits, someone made the ultimate sacrifice for you to obtain the benefits you are about to use.

Either way, let there be no doubt in your mind that these benefits were earned and are offered to you with the reverence and gratitude of a grateful nation. Consider them a small token of gratitude for whatever sacrifices you or someone close to you made to obtain them. Your only obligation is to use them wisely for whatever self-improvement you seek.

THE BIG IDEA! You’ve decided to take