- As of November 2019 -

  You may be familiar with common educational programs like tuition assistance and the GI Bill. But did you know that many Universities offer other specific programs for Active Duty personnel and Veterans? We’ve scoured the internet to find some of the latest and most valuable programs out there.

​

In-State Tuition Match Programs

  The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 entitles Veterans to in-state tuition rates regardless of residency. This benefit does not extend to their Active Duty counterparts. In an effort to provide a fair discount to all military members, many schools offer in-state tuition match programs for Active Duty Servicemembers too.

One such school is Iowa State University. Students need to submit a copy of active duty orders or active duty identification card to qualify.

For the most part, this benefit is school-specific. You'll want to include this in your search criteria. Our research showed the State University of New York and universities in the state of Virginia offer this in-state tuition match also.

​

Standford Ignite - Post 9/11 Veterans

  The Stanford Ignite program is for Post 9/11 Veterans seeking to learn more about entrepreneurship and innovation. Students will learn about business models, marketing, product-market fit, financial statements, and pricing through access to successful Silicon Valley businesses. Military members with an MBA or equal level management experience should apply. After completion, students will earn a certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

 

Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)

  Through a partnership with JP Morgan Chase & Co., Syracuse University established the IVMF in 2011 to help Veterans and family members transition to civilian life. The Institute offers several programs that train and support military members in career search and entrepreneurship.

The career training program, Onward to Opportunity (O2O) is available online or at one of 18 locations across the nation. This free program is offered to Veterans and Active Duty Members who will transition out of service in the next six months.

The entrepreneurship training offers several programs from one-day events to weekend workshops and online resources. Various programs support the different phases of entrepreneurship from ideation through growth.

 

Warrior-Scholar Project

  The Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP), created by Yale students Chris Howell, Jesse Reising, and Nick Rugoff, exists to provide mentorship and guidance to enlisted personnel leaving the service and entering a four-year degree program. They recognized a need to help these military personnel prepare for college life and improve the skills they’d need to be successful in their academic pursuits.

They do this through one or two-week boot camps located at participating schools where Veterans can experience campus life and learn from Veteran student mentors. A few of the participating schools are Yale University, the University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, and Georgetown University. See the full list here.

            The program is free of charge. To be eligible, you must be enlisted and a Veteran or on Active Duty with the intent to attend school full time in the near future. 

 

PME2DEGREE™ from Purdue University Global

  Purdue University has taken great lengths to be a top military-friendly school. Their PME2DEGREE™  program offers efficient degree paths that have been customized to specific MOSs for all five branches. Military members may be awarded 55% of credits needed for an associate’s degree or 43% of credits needed for a bachelor’s degree.

Along with specialized degree paths, they also offer discounted tuition for Active Duty and Veteran students.

​

Military Medic to Paramedic Program

  The Lansing Community College offers a fast-track program for military medics to receive training and licensing as a paramedic. The traditional program takes about 12 months to complete, while this program can be completed in 28 weeks. Once the student has completed the first phase, they can go on to complete the Advanced Standing RN program in three semesters. This program usually takes two years.

​

Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2)

  The EMDP2 program is a unique, 24-month program available to active-duty enlisted personnel. Students complete preparatory courses for medical school while still on active duty, receiving full pay and benefits. Tuition is free and courses are completed through Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. Students will PCS to Washington D.C. and dependents may accompany.

To be eligible, students must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.2 and apply through their service branch. More details on how to apply can be found at the Uniformed Services University’s website.

 

The Texas Hazlewood Act

  The Hazlewood Act affords Texas Veterans up to 150 semester hours of education benefits. Veterans must have entered service in Texas or designated Texas as their home of record. In addition, they must have served at least 181 days and received an honorable or general discharge.

It should be noted that The Hazelwood Act does not cover expenses such as books, fees, or housing. 

 

Rutgers University Mini-MBA™

  Rutgers University offers a Mini-MBA: Business Management for Military and Veterans program to bridge the gap from military leadership to corporate leadership. The one-week intensive program covers 10 modules designed to help Veterans translate their military leadership skills and experiences to ones they will use in their future civilian careers. Topics include global business, finance, corporate leadership, and business communication. Students receive a post-program mentor to guide them through their career goals.

 

The Yellow Ribbon Program

  The Yellow Ribbon Program provides supplemental funds to close the gap when Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits reach their annual cap. At this time, that cap is $24,476.79. To cover costs, additional funds are made available by Yellow Ribbon participating schools and matched by the VA.

To demonstrate, consider a student who is left with $6,000 in tuition costs after the maximum amount is paid by the GI Bill. The school could offer $3,000 which would be matched by the VA at $3,000 to cover the gap.

Schools must elect to participate in this program. The list is updated annually and can be found here.

​

*Written in Coordination with Heather, Retired Army Veteran*