Study draws out main concerns of student vets - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Study draws out main concerns of student vets

Veterans using the GI Bill choose a four-year institution by reputation and by what degrees are offered, but they pick two-year and for-profit schools based on location, name familiarity and for their emphasis on adult education, according to a new Rand Corp. report.

The report, compiled for the American Council on Education, finds that the Post-9/11 GI Bill has had significant influence on the education choices of service members, veterans and their families.

One-quarter of those surveyed said he new GI Bill was a significant factor in whether they even enrolled in higher education courses. For one-fifth, the new GI Bill — with its combination of tuition, fees, living stipends and book allowances — was a major factor in deciding which institution to attend.

Results are based on a survey of 564 student veterans as well as follow-up interviews with focus groups in Arizona, Ohio and Virginia, in which more detailed questions were asked.

About 10 percent of people in the focus groups said the new GI Bill, with living stipends that made it possible to attend school full-time without working, was a big relief because they were either unable to find a job or had been laid off. With the veterans benefits, they could attend school without financial worries and plan to re-enter the job market when they finished their educations.

Several people in the survey and focus groups cited concerns about the Veterans Affairs Department’s problems starting up the year-old benefits program, and about correcting mistakes.

They also worried about whether a student using the GI Bill would be able to complete a college degree before the 36 months of benefits run out.

The problem, according to the report, occurs at both four-year and two-year schools: Some students find that classes required in order to graduate with a particular major fill up early. Only 64 percent of those surveyed believed they would have a degree before their benefits were exhausted.

Veterans said having priority placement in essential courses would ensure they could get their degree before their benefits run out.

Some student veterans who used Montgomery GI Bill benefits for some of their college classes could get up to 48 months of education benefits if they switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This applies only if they use every day of their Montgomery GI Bill — the predecessor to the Post-9/11 GI Bill that pays a flat-rate benefit without regard to costs and does not include a living stipend or book allowance — and then sign up for the newer program. Under current policy, they do not get extra months of benefits if they have any time remaining on their Montgomery GI Bill benefit.

Another complaint was that credits earned for military service or for military course work were hard convert to academic credit, especially for those enrolled in two-year public schools.