College in the Corps

[Vulture6]

Lots of folks have posted questions about going to college while on active duty. Instead of digging up old threads, I wanted to start a new one that will give folks wondering about going to college while in uniform some info from folks who have done / are doing it... or decided not to.

One note - if you are going to be a trigger puller, don't bet on getting much of an opportunity to go to college while assigned to the FMF. You'll get plenty of class time at the univeristy of hard knocks

[Vulture6]

Herculaneum, Mo., native studies abroad in Fallujah
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)
Story by Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Cox


Lance Cpl. Justin M. Parker, an administrative clerk, S-1, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Headquarters Group, II MEF (FWD) works on an online assignment from his Intro to Psychology course June 28, 2005. Parker is currently enrolled in college courses while on his first deployment to Iraq. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Cox

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (June 29, 2005) -- Service members have many opportunities throughout their careers to complete college courses, even while on a deployment. One determined Marine is taking advantage of the chance to get an education while serving here.

Lance Cpl. Justin M. Parker, an administrative clerk, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), handles tasks in the office during his normal work hours aboard Camp Fallujah, but he also completes college courses in his spare time.

The Herculaneum, Mo., native is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and is working toward a bachelor's degree, aspiring to become a successful stock broker.

"Right now I'm taking Introduction to Psychology," he said.

Parker said a military related advertisement initially sparked his interest in the Marine Corps shortly after receiving his associate's degree in a computer related field.

However, the degree he obtained before enlisting wasn't exciting to him, and he chose to join the Marine Corps for a change and enlisted in September 2003.

"I didn't care for my degree, so I didn't even look for a job in it," he said.

Parker said he was given a choice of military occupational specialties when he joined and chose to be an administrative clerk in an effort to gain skills in an office environment.

The 25 year old said after completing Marine Corps Recruit Training and
Personnel Administration School, he received orders to Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he
worked toward his degree in economics.

Even though Parker is deployed to Iraq, he still continues to work hard in the office and completes college classes despite the stresses of combat and his busy work schedule.

According to his fellow Marines, Parker excels as a Marine and as a student.

"He is very dedicated to his MOS and takes his job very seriously," said Cpl. Joseph Parrado, administrative chief, II MHG, II MEF (FWD).

Parker said he likes his work environment and the camaraderie Marines share.

"Everyone keeps an eye out for each other," he said.

He also likes to socialize and spend time with his friends on and off duty.

Parker's fellow Marines said he can always get the job done.

"I personally think he is a good Marine in that he is determined and motivated," said Lance Cpl. Togai Andrews, legal specialist, II MHG, II MEF (FWD).

Deployments can be challenging times for service members, however, Parker continues to pursue his dreams while maintaining a high level of motivation and a good work ethic.

[Vulture6]

Florida Marine learns life lessons through hardships in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar


THAR THAR REGION, Iraq – Lance Cpl. Michael Harres, a squad automatic weapon gunner with 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, is currently deployed to Iraq’s Al Anbar province. The 19-year-old Brooksville, Fla. native’s unit is currently conducting security and stability operations in and around Fallujah. Photo by: Cpl. Mike Escobar

THAR THAR REGION, Iraq (July 1, 2005) -- It is difficult to imagine any person trading a promising future pursuing a business degree in college in favor of strapping on pounds of cumbersome body armor and weaponry to trudge through Iraq’s scorching wastelands.

It wasn’t for Lance Cpl. Michael Harres. In fact, that’s exactly what the high school honor graduate set off to do the summer after his senior year.

“I joined the Marines to make a difference, to be able to say I did something,” stated the 19-year-old Brooksville, Fla. native. “I had the opportunity to go to college, but I wanted to feel like I’d earned that right first. I wanted to be able to say that I was actually out there, in the fight, on the front lines.”

Currently, Harres is earning that right by serving as an infantryman in Iraq’s Al Anbar province alongside fellow Marines from his unit, Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

The 2004 Central High School graduate and his teammates have been conducting counter-insurgency operations in and around the once-embattled city of Fallujah since mid-March. The unit’s latest effort to deter terrorist activity in the area was Operation Khanjar, the Arabic word for ‘dagger’.

During the five-day mission, Harres, Iraqi soldiers, and hundreds of Marines, sailors and soldiers swept through more than 100 square kilometers of desert fields and shorelines bordering Thar Thar Lake, a body of water north of Fallujah.

The troops scoured these seldom-patrolled lands, looking for buried weapons and explosive materials amid the numerous dirt mounds and bombed-out buildings.

“Basically, we’re checking this entire sector, looking for weapons caches along with the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces),” Harres explained. “We’re working with and supporting the ISF, showing them the proper way to do these searches.”

Troops participating in Khanjar detained several suspected insurgent supporters and uncovered hundreds of explosive rounds that could have been used to make improvised explosive devices, currently one of the deadly weapons insurgents in Iraq possess.

Khanjar was only one operation Harres and his team have conducted during their three and a half months in Iraq.

In March, Harres’ unit provided security for Operation Greenback, during which Iraqi officials handed out payments compensating Fallujah’s citizens for the destruction done to their houses and buildings during last year’s conflict,

All the while, Company B Marines have continued patrolling the city streets alongside the Iraqi soldiers, helping train them on proper urban patrol tactics while maintaining a strong presence in Fallujah.

“In the past we’ve been checking houses and clearing sectors of the city looking for weapons and illegal (anti Coalition and Iraqi government) paraphernalia,” Harres explained.

Insurgents continue smuggling these materials into Coalition Forces’ areas of operation, so Harres and his Marines maintain constant vigilance to deter them.

Whether manning observation posts in his company’s operational headquarters in Fallujah, or patrolling through the streets and fields outside the city, Harres said he feels he is playing a role in putting an end to terrorism in Iraq.

Additionally, he claims moral character development and lessons learned about himself as one of his biggest accomplishments during his first deployment.

“Being here, you learn about friendships, brotherhood, and watching each other’s backs,” Harres added. “You live with about eight other guys that you also work with every single day for seven months. Everyday, we’re faced with situations where the guy next to you watches your back, and you do the same for him. By doing that, you form a bond and make friends that last a lifetime.”

Harres added that these interpersonal ties are invaluable while serving in this dust-filled, scorching environment, where contact with the outside world is limited to letter mail and an occasional phone call home.

“Being here teaches you to appreciate everything you have back in the States, like being able to be clean for more than a couple of hours and eat some good food,” he added with a chuckle. “I haven’t been able to see my family much since I’ve been in the Marine Corps, either.”

All challenges aside, Harres remains appreciative of the bonds and experiences he and his fellow Marines experience everyday and takes these shared hardships in stride.

“I know this whole experience will be worth it; it’s just while you’re out here that things are rough sometimes. It’s not something I like to do right now, but when I look back at it, I’ll realize it was all worth it.”

[Vulture6]

Ragin’ Cajun enlists with GED, goes after master’s degree
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by Sgt. Juan Vara


AL ASAD, Iraq – 1st Lt. Jeremy A. Robinson, maintenance material control officer and aerial observer with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996 without a high school diploma. A native of New Orleans, Robinson took advantage of the opportunities service members have to continue their education and received a college degree from Auburn University almost four years ago. Photo by: Sgt. Juan Vara

AL ASAD, Iraq (July 4, 2005) -- In January 1996, a young man from New Orleans enlisted in the Marine Corps without a high school diploma. Less than six years later he had a college degree and was a second lieutenant. He wasn’t done.

Taking advantage of the opportunities service members have to continue their education, 1st Lt. Jeremy A. Robinson traded his stripes and crossed rifles for gold bars almost four years ago. It wasn’t easy, but his hard work and perseverance paid off and have changed his life in ways he never imagined.

In 1994, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, Robinson dropped out of high school and took up several jobs to sustain the family. Interested in bettering himself, he got a General Education Development certificate from the state of Louisiana and attended Delgado Community College for a year. In January 1996 he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Upon completion of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., he was meritoriously promoted to private first class. He later completed Marine Combat Training, a course on basic infantry skills, where he was meritoriously promoted to lance corporal.

After becoming an aviation maintenance administrative clerk, Robinson traveled to Okinawa, Japan, and reported to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265. While serving with HMM-265, without even one year in the Corps, he was promoted to corporal.

To learn more about the aircraft for which he was maintaining records, he began flying as an aerial observer on CH-46E Sea Knights. He accumulated approximately 100 flight-hours before his return to the United States.

His second unit was Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21, in Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., where he served as an operations clerk. On his off time, mostly at night, he attended Pensacola Junior College.

The operations officer in the unit, a prior-enlisted Marine who had reached the rank of gunnery sergeant before becoming a warrant officer and moving up to the rank of lieutenant colonel, noticed Robinson’s interest in education.

“He noticed I was taking classes at night and knocking out my homework at lunch time and counseled me about putting in a package for [the Meritorious Enlisted Commissioning Education Program],” said Robinson.

Robinson, hungry for more knowledge, followed the advice and was one of approximately 50 corporals to get selected for the program. Prior to leaving the unit, in less than four years of service, he was promoted to sergeant.

Auburn University welcomed Robinson in 1999. In August 2001 he received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

After completing aviation maintenance officers’ school he joined Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26, based at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, N.C., and served as the airframes division officer.

In November 2003 he joined his current unit, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264, as the maintenance material control officer. Juggling the workload of a unit that has been constantly deploying in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, he continued working on the aerial observer syllabus and received the aircrew wing insignia on April 1.

“That was a great feeling,” he said. “Finally finishing what I started and receiving my wings nine years later, as an officer.”

In Iraq since earlier this year, Robinson has raked up approximately 100 flight-hours with about 80 of those being in combat missions. He now wears the combat aircrew wing insignia, a device that recognizes the job done by aircrew personnel in combat.

“Flying is great,” he said. “I missed it. I got all caught up with my training but by flying here I feel like I contributed to the entire effort.”

Robinson, recently selected for promotion to captain, is scheduled to return to the U.S. and report to MALS-42 in Marietta, Ga. Not completely done with his education goals, he plans to attend law school at Georgia State University for his master’s degree.

“Why get out of the Marine Corps and go to school when you can take advantage of the programs the Marine Corps offers,” said Robinson. “[The Meritorious Enlisted Commissioning Education Program] is a great opportunity for Marines who have some college background and are looking to enhance their professional development while still wearing the uniform. The Marine Corps opened the door for me, but MECEP changed my life forever.”

[Vulture6]

Houston Marine jumps on board, wins coveted honors
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by Sgt. Juan Vara




AL ASAD, Iraq (July 8, 2005) -- A graduate of Texas Tech University, Cpl. Brian H. Walker enlisted in the Marine Corps in December 2003 to repay a personal obligation to the United States.

“We all have a debt to our country,” he said. “We all have to make a sacrifice for the freedoms we have and the lives we live. Some repay that debt by serving their country and others just take it for granted. I didn’t want to be one of those. As a Marine I can go on with my life with no regrets.”

An intelligence systems analyst with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4, Walker, from Houston, recently won the noncommissioned officer of the quarter board for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).

Quarterly boards stimulate competitive spirit among Marines and provide recognition and reward for those who demonstrate outstanding military leadership, appearance, job knowledge, and performance of duty.

To be selected for this honor Walker first faced keen competition in his squadron and won the squadron-level board. A few days later he competed against some of the finest noncommissioned officers in the entire Marine Aircraft Group 26 and won the group-level board. After competing against a handful of the best noncommissioned officers in the forward deployed wing he came out triumphant.

“After winning the squadron board I knew the competition was going to be good,” said Walker. “I actually thought I had lost the group board since my sergeant major didn’t tell anything until about an hour after it had ended. At no time I thought it would be a given, there are too many good Marines around for me to have thought that.”

And boards are something he’s familiar with. Walker won the noncommissioned officer of the quarter board in his squadron last October, and when he graduated basic training he competed in and took the honor graduate board, which earned him a meritorious promotion to the rank of lance corporal.

But even after earning all these accolades, he remains humble and acknowledges the assistance provided by others to get him where he is today.

“The [noncommissioned officers] in my shop helped me understand how the boards would be and what to look for,” said Walker, who’s currently carrying out anti-terrorism and force protection duties. “My fellow Marines on duty spent hours and hours helping me get ready.”

Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Wagner, from Fort Smith, Ark., is one of Walker’s friends from basic training and serves with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, a squadron that’s also deployed here. By luck of the draw, Wagner and Walker met again.

As a coincidence, Wagner competed and won the Marine of the quarter board in his squadron. He and Walker helped each other prepare for the next boards and they advanced to and won the wing-level boards.

“Lance Corporal Wagner and I got all the knowledge we could find and had the goal to go as far as we could,” said Walker. “Whenever we were lifting weights we would quiz each other between sets.”

A college graduate with bachelor’s degrees in history and economics, Walker had the option to never have to worry about these types of boards. He could have joined the military as an officer, like two of his friends from high school.

Army Capts. Doug Adams and Sam F. Harms, who Walker said he admires, are Houstonians who graduated with him from Cypress Creek High School in 1996. When they were commissioned as Army officers Walker was still in college unsure of what he wanted to do with his life.

When his friends deployed to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism he realized he wanted to serve in the armed forces.

“I felt like I couldn’t look them in the eyes and not feel like I wasn’t doing my part for our country,” said Walker, who joined the Corps as an enlisted Marine to gain knowledge and experience and plans to transition to the officer ranks.

“It’s said that to be a good leader first you have to follow,” he said. “I’ve earned the respect of the Marines and I’ve become a noncommissioned officer. It is an honor to be in the best fighting force in the world and if I’m lucky to become an officer that will help me out a lot.”

Walker said he’d like to serve as an infantry or intelligence officer but in the mean time he’ll continue to do his best supporting his squadron as an enlisted Marine.

“No matter what I do I want to continue to learn from the Marines around and above me,” he said. “I credit them with my growth from a selfish college student to a Marine.”

[TejanoRey]

good post Vulture...I took college while I was in the Corps...fortunately I had the MOS that allowed me to take as much as I could....It is well worth the extra work and I would highly recommend it to any Marine who has the time to take it....

[SpongeJuan]

It is good to take classes but sometimes your unit makes you work so much that you don't have much time. The CO said we were working 12 on and 12 off. So by the time I get off of work I just play some PS2, talk to my girl for a little bit, and hit the rack. The airwing is not as easy as it sounds. But in the Corps when you go through tough times it builds up your comraderie. And sometimes working 12 hours every day can really ruin your day, or week. Thank god for those 72s and 96s.

[Vulture6]

From the 25 July Marine Corps Times

Link to story

July 22, 2005

Degrees on the go
10 tips to help you match an education program to fit with your busy lifestyle

By Jessica Lawson
Decision Times

There are plenty of college-degree programs that fit your active, busy and mobile military lifestyle. But before you enroll in any class or program, ask yourself — and your chosen school — these 10 important questions to ensure that your academic career is all you hope for and need it to be:

1 - Is the school accredited by a recognized accrediting agency? Most important: making sure your prospective school is properly accredited. Unfortunately, there are many “diploma mills” out there today — especially on the Internet. They look good. They sound good. They may even say they are accredited. But get your degree from one of them, and it won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on. Employers won’t accept it. Other legitimate institutions of higher learning won’t recognize it and you, the student, will be left with nothing to show for your work but lost time and money.

What is accreditation? According to the Department of Education, accreditation exists to ensure that education provided by institutes of higher learning meets acceptable levels of quality. There is no central accrediting agency or organization in the United States. Rather, there are 19 recognized institutional accrediting organizations for colleges or universities. Programs are accredited by one of about 60 recognized programmatic accrediting organizations. To earn the distinction of being “recognized,” accrediting organizations are reviewed for quality by the USDE or the non-governmental Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

If it all sounds very complicated, it is. One safe rule of thumb is this: Don’t believe a school or program is accredited just because it says it is.

According to Rodney Merrill, founder of the distance-learning and consulting service DegreeFinders.com, diploma mills frequently create official-sounding accreditation agencies solely for the purpose of “recognizing” their schools. Often, the names of these unrecognized accrediting agencies closely mirror the names of legitimate ones. For example, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a legitimate regional accrediting organization, but the Middle States Accrediting Board is not.

Merrill thinks the idea behind this is, if the agency sounds familiar, people won’t check it out. His advice? Always check, and make sure the name of the accreditation agency is exactly the same as a recognized one. If it is not, assume a deception, not a typo.

CHEA offers on its Web site a list of accrediting organizations recognized by it, the Education Department or both. Go to www.chea.org/pdf/CHEA_USDE_AllAccred.pdf. CHEA also provides a database of institutions and programs accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations at www.chea.org/search/default.asp. USDE’s database of accredited institutions and programs is at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

2 - What degrees are offered? Obviously, you want to make sure your prospective school offers the degree program you are interested in. According to Tracy Mullen Cosker, director of admissions and transfer credit for American Public University System, the bottom line is asking yourself, “What do I need?”

“Harvard is a great school, but if you are in the middle of the desert, it doesn’t help you much,” Mullen Cosker said. “Conversely, if you are going pre-med, APUS is not the school for you. Decide what you need, then it will be easier to target a school that is right for you.”

And remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of schools that promise degrees in exchange for money and little work, or degrees based solely on “life experiences.”

However, if a school offers the option of some credit based on your military or life experiences, don’t automatically think it’s not legitimate.

University of Phoenix Online and APUS — which includes American Military University and American Public University — are just two examples of well-respected online schools that award credit based on military experience.

According to the Education Department, legitimate institutions that offer credit for life or work experiences administer tests or examine portfolios and/or professional certifications to determine how much credit they will give you.

Credit is awarded only if the work experience is equivalent to what would have been taught in a college-level course.

At APUS, Mullen Cosker said, they follow American Council on Education recommendations for awarding credit based on military experience.

3 - Can I pursue a degree in a way that fits my active military lifestyle, my deployments?

Obviously, legitimate online-learning programs are not giving away degrees. There is a lot of discipline and time commitment involved in taking an online class. But if you are prepared to uphold your end of the bargain, make sure your school and its faculty will work with you when challenging situations arise.

Army Reserve Pfc. Ben Lovell is deployed to Iraq. He also is a student at the University of Phoenix Online, completing his second class in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. While Lovell admits it can be a challenge to stay on top of schoolwork while fulfilling mission requirements, he said his instructors know ahead of time when an assignment might be late and don’t count it against him.

Still, Lovell doesn’t take advantage of his deployment status to routinely turn in late work. “I usually get up extra early before missions to take care of what I need to take care of,” he said.

And while many online-learning classes have appeal for military students, because they don’t have to be physically present in class at a specific day or hour, some schools work better than others to accommodate the lifestyle.

Mike Bibbee, military division director at the University of Phoenix Online, urges prospective students to see how many entry points — points at which you can enroll in a class — a school has during an academic year. Some schools only have three or four entry points during a year.

“You start PCSing, and you miss one semester; you get where you are going, and the other semester has already started,” Bibbee said.

At University of Phoenix Online, bachelor’s-level courses are five or six weeks long. “What we’ve found, with military students especially, is that shorter course length works best for them,” he said.

4 - Who make up the school’s faculty? Most colleges and universities are eager to tell you about their faculty. After all, a list of well-credentialed faculty members is great advertising. It’s what helped sell Arkansas Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Ford on American Military University when he was looking for a school with which to pursue a master’s in criminal justice.

Ford said he spent some time reviewing biographies of the school’s faculty.

“I was able to see that there were professors with the school who were professionals in their career field,” he said. “They were not full-time professors. They were experts in the field I was going to be majoring in.”

According to Merrill of DegreeFinders.com, a school’s failure to list its faculty — or to list faculty but provide no credentials for them — should raise a red flag. Even if the school does provide information about its faculty, Merrill encourages performing random checks to ensure that the staffing claims are real. He has encountered instances where talented, distinguished individuals have no idea they are listed as faculty at a school.

Finally, Merrill said, pay attention to where a school’s faculty members earned their own degrees. Avoid places where too many of the instructors have been awarded all their degrees from the school at which they teach. Good institutions seek intellectual diversity from their staff.

5 - Who are the school’s students, and what are they saying about it? When would-be students are interested in a school with a traditional campus setting, they have the opportunity to get students’ takes on the place during a visit to that campus before they decide whether or not to enroll. Obviously, that option doesn’t exist at an online school. But there’s no reason why you still can’t talk to current members of the student body.

George Kuh, director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, recommends requesting the names and e-mail addresses of three or four students enrolled at a school in which you are interested.

“And much as a student would do visiting a campus, [he] should ask questions of other students,” Kuh said.

Another option: If an online school uses chat rooms as a way for students in classes to communicate with one another, ask if you can get temporary access to some of these chat rooms so you can see what kind of conversations are going on about the class.

If you feel uncomfortable relying on a stranger’s opinions about a school, start talking to your friends and co-workers about education options. Get them to open up to you about their experiences, good and bad. You may find that what works for them also is a good fit for you.

Andy Jillard is a Navy petty officer first class who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history at American Military University. He said he has been so happy with his experiences that he’s gotten several people at both his last command and his current command to enroll at the school, and his wife is a student there, as well. At the very least, find out how many students are enrolled at the school.

A school with too many students may be unable to provide you with the amount of one-on-one attention you need or deserve. Too few students can indicate a school isn’t established, and you could have to deal with issues of instability. Also ask how many students have graduated from a school. If the number is high, it is a good indicator of student satisfaction.

6 - Once I am enrolled, how accessible is the school’s faculty and support staff? Key to student learning is how much feedback students get for their work, NSSE’s Kuh said.

“How easy is it to contact a faculty member? You want to know the answer to that question,” Kuh said. “What kind of response are you going to get if you contact them? Is this something the institution thinks is important? If they do, they will tell you that.”

With online learning, most feedback is going to come in the form of writing. Kuh said to ask: Do you just submit a paper, and a grade comes back, or do you get substantive comments about your work?

“Feedback is one of the most powerful mechanisms that faculty members have to push students to higher levels of achievement,” he said.

Also check out the support side of the equation. Military students are stationed in different time zones around the world, so they need to pay attention to when help will be available if they need it, be it with a computer problem, a billing question or a query about a transcript. Some schools offer 24-hour technology and customer-service support.

7 - Does the school have proven online success? Look for a school that has been around for awhile. A brand-new school shouldn’t automatically be discredited, but having proven success with online graduates can mean your own experience will be a lot smoother. Be wary of too many “frills.” Some online schools are attempting to use sophisticated technology like video-streaming, white-board capabilities and video conferencing. It sounds fun and exciting, but it probably means the program is harder to set up, more prone to crashing and requires more technical support.

University of Phoenix Online’s Bibbee said their system is mostly e-mail based.

“It’s kept very low-tech on purpose, because we don’t want to focus on the technology,” he said. “We want to focus on the learning.”

Additionally, make sure “online” means “online.” Some online degree programs aren’t 100 percent online. They might require occasional on-campus attendance, or include instruction via videotape, mail or telephone.

8 - How much is it going to cost? Sure, the military offers a number of options to help students pay for school, but plan wisely in case you incur some education costs yourself. If you go the online route, your tuition should be about the same as what you would pay if you were attending a traditional college or university. Make sure a prospective school doesn’t tack on any special fees. Also, see whether your program requires you to purchase textbooks and, if so, try to get an estimate of what the per-semester cost of those books might be.

Shop around for deals. University of Phoenix Online is an example of a school that offers service members tuition discounts. Other schools have tuition caps.

American Military University student Jillard said a big factor in his decision to enroll there was that the school caps its tuition according to what the Navy pays for tuition assistance. And, as an undergraduate in good standing at AMU, Jillard said he also reaps the benefits of a book grant offered by the school, so he does not have to pay for textbooks.

9 - How long will it take me to finish my degree? According to University of Phoenix Online estimates, frequent deployments, training missions and moves mean that it can take an active-duty service member about 14 years to complete a two-year associate’s degree the traditional, on-campus way. It may be worth enrolling in an online program only if you can expect to be able to complete your degree in a much more reasonable amount of time.

10 - Does the school accept transfer credits? If you already have some college under your belt from one or more other institutions, make sure the school you are considering will accept those credits. If your classes were taken at properly accredited schools, you shouldn’t have a problem.

Jessica Lawson covers education for Decision Times. Reach her at Jlawson@atpco.com.