Online Education – Ideal For Veterans
As unemployment rates are making it increasingly difficult for workers to find jobs, many individuals are using the current economic downturn as an opportunity to embark on new campus-based and online educational pursuits or career paths, such as those offered by the military.
The military has been aggressively pursuing new recruits in recent years and with economic struggles pushing more youths toward the armed forces the amount of growth online colleges have seen has been huge. Military distance learning programs have been bolstered by those soldiers currently serving overseas.
As a result, many online colleges are reaching out to active-duty soldiers to help them reach their higher education goals during their military service. For example, Ashford College has announced it will participate in this year’s Holiday Mail for Heroes Initiative, which is sponsored by the American Red Cross.
Administration and staff at the online university will create and collect personalized holiday cards that will be sent to active-duty soldiers on bases across the country, soldiers who are recovering in military hospitals, veterans and military families. Melissa Maddox, manager of the school’s military services, said Ashworth is participating in the program to honor “numerous service members, military spouses who are students and alumni.”
Emerging online colleges are taking great strides to accommodate their student soldiers by reaching out to them not only in their studies but in their programs and connectivity. Through extra-curricular programs like the Holiday Card program, these schools are making a strong effort to bring a more wholesome and encouraging element to distance learning and help get students excited and engaged while they are still serving in the military. The hope is that these kinds of programs will foster a thirst for learning that will continue into the future even after these soldiers have returned to a civilian lifestyle and begun pursuing their careers and working toward a more dynamic and promising future. Through outreach programs and flexible scheduling these online colleges aim to make themselves an integral part in a soldier’s life as they work toward shaping and forming what will eventually become their lives in the civilian world and help them transition out of the armed forces.
The programs offered in these online colleges are specially designed to focus on job-market skills that soldiers will need after they leave the service and begin seeking jobs. These programs put a direct focus on building the core skills that soldiers will need when it comes time for them to enter the workforce and begin life as civilians. The amount of additional credential that these programs can lend to a resume is invaluable for any soldier looking to begin a civilian career.
In cooperation with Veteran’s Affairs, many colleges are now offering tuition discounts for soldiers currently serving or those who have recently left the service. These programs assist soldiers in getting their degree while still accommodating their budgets and income.
These online degree programs work hand in hand with conventional campus based schools and can be combined with credits earned in other programs to help facilitate the learning process. In some cases, soldiers have earned their degrees in six months or less!
Adding your online university degree to your resume is the perfect way to get ahead of the competition when transitioning from military service to civilian life. With colleges online and the availability of college, there’s no reason not to get the most of your time in the service by working on obtaining an advanced degree. The military is interested in educated soldiers and they’re willing to assist soldiers in their choice to pursue a higher degree. To find out more about college degrees, check local online resources.
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