The Montgomery GI Bill, now renamed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, offers educational benefits to members of the armed forces. The benefits are available to anyone who has successfully served three years including active duty, retirees, and those honorably discharged. Partial benefits are available for those who served up to two years and weren't dishonorably discharged.
It can be hard, however, to utilize those benefits when you are serving a tour overseas, when your off-duty time happens to be in the middle of the night, or when you have a PCS (permanent change of duty station) in the middle of a college semester. In-person learning does not work for those currently serving and living on a military schedule. There are options, however, that can work with your schedule while maximizing both your time and your GI Bill benefits.
1. DSST exams
DANTES, or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support, offers DSST exams. These exams allow you to study material at your own pace and take an exam in lieu of a college class. Successfully passing the exam earns you three to four college credits. Exams are offered in a variety of subjects, including Astronomy, criminal Justice, and the Principles of Finance.
2. Credit for prior learning
The American Council on Education, more commonly referred to as ACE, gives non-traditional students credit for prior learning in many fields, allowing them to earn credit while performing their job. ACE has teamed with the military to give college credit for many military training programs. In fact, the series of required courses in the Army's Non-Commissioned Officer Education System, or NCOES, is now worth over 60 college credits through ACE. Almost all colleges in the United States accept ACE credits.
3. Asynchronous learning
Previously, colleges offered online classes synchronously, meaning you had to attend on the day and time assigned to the class by the college so that all the students could be present at the same time with the professor. The advent of asynchronous learning, however, allows students to log in and attend class at a time convenient to them, even at 0300 hours.
4. Virtual classes
Virtual classes allow students to be location-independent. Offering online courses allows students to take courses and complete their college degrees from down the street, across the country, or on the other side of the world.
5. Competency-based learning
Some online colleges for military members even offer competency-based learning. This simply means that you move on to the next course when you have proven that you have mastered the subject. You do not have to wait until the end of the semester. For example, if you are a Civil War buff and are enrolled in a competency-based learning program, you can go look over the class material and take the final exam all in one weekend, saving you time and money.
Careful planning and hard work paired with online options can maximize your time and your GI Bill benefits. Contact online colleges for military members to learn more.
