As part of the GI Bill, the military’s Yellow Ribbon Program will cover all tuition and fees for public colleges and universities, and the majority of fees for private schools, for veterans who want to get their degrees after returning from duty.
While this gives returning servicemembers an opportunity at a higher education, veterans face a unique set of challenges transitioning from the chaos and comraderie of the front lines into the isolation of the classroom.
Thus far, this mission has had disappointing results. Eighty-eight percent of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are dropping out.
The lack of community contributes to the drop-out rate. Today, less than 1 percent of military-age Americans are volunteering for service, so when soldiers return to the classroom, there are fewer veterans to whom they can relate.
Additionally, the rise of for-profit colleges has duped veterans and civilians alike into investing their future prospects into worthless degrees.
The Military Times Edge surveyed veterans about their college experiences. The survey didn’t always match up well with results. Some “well ranked” schools that offered plenty of programs did not graduate many veterans. Other schools offered fewer programs for vets, but had higher rates of veteran attendance and graduation.
We’ve complied a list of four-year colleges doing the best job of arming veterans with degrees. Click through the gallery to see which schools made the list and to learn about the programs offered to help ease the transition into the classroom.
Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff/Creative Commons via Flickr
Andrew Freeman is a California native with a degree in history from UCLA. He’s covered a wide range of topics for TakePart, but is particularly interested in politics and policy. Email Andrew |@natureofdabeast | TakePart.com
