College Options for Military Wives
It’s easier than you think
Provided courtesy of the National Military Family Association (NMFA)
Did you know that the average annual salary difference between someone with a four-year degree and a person with a high school diploma is approximately $20,000? Plus, obtaining a degree can present job opportunities that otherwise would not be available to you. Although pursuing a higher education might prove to be somewhat difficult for a military wife, it is certainly not impossible. Don't be overwhelmed or discouraged. In fact, it's easier than you might think.
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) understands military wives face many hurdles when it comes to achieving education success. To help, NMFA has developed a comprehensive online resource, www.nmfa.org/SpouseEd to introduce military spouses to the available resources they can use. The following is information from the Web site that any military wife can use.
Installation Education Centers and Services
Your installation Education Center should be your first stop for information about local education programs and opportunities. The services offered by these centers are not limited to servicemembers; they are also a resource for you as a wife. Talk with an education counselor.
Colleges and Universities Operating on Military Installations
Many colleges and universities have agreements with the Services to provide college classes on the installation. The majority of schools offering these courses will have an office in the education center with a counselor available for wives to sit down and discuss college enrollment.
In-state Tuition Qualification
As you probably know, most universities offer two tuition rates, in-state and out-of-state, giving a financial break to the residents of that state. However, many times, military families are often not residents in the state where they live, but keep a permanent home of record elsewhere. Some states recognize this extraordinary circumstance and allow military family members to pay the in-state tuition rate, others do not. Military wives can qualify for in-state tuition in their state of legal residence, the state of legal residence as well as the state the service member is assigned, and last the state of legal residence, the assigned state, and maintain eligibility for in-state tuition if the service member is reassigned.
Important Information about Transferring Credits
Frequent moves and the subsequent loss of credits are often the biggest challenge military wives face when working to complete their education. Aside from the time investment wives lose when their college credits don't transfer, they can lose thousands of dollars as well. In some cases, your credits will transfer to equivalent courses, but some might transfer only as electives.
Find out if your school is a member of the Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC). SOC is a consortium of more than 1800 education institutions that meet the unique needs of military families by agreeing to military friendly principles and creating degree programs that can go wherever the military sends you. There are two ways SOC Colleges help military students: as Consortium Members and Degree Network System participants. Degree Network System participants provide SOC agreements with credit transfer guarantees to other SOC Degree Network schools. Visit www.soc.aascu.org for more information.
There are many opportunities available to help military spouses achieve education success. Visit the NMFA website at nmfa.org for more tips and helpful resources.