5 Steps for Veterans to Choose an Online Bachelor's Program

When it comes to choosing an online bachelor's program, veterans should -- just like any other prospective student -- look for qualities such as flexibility and student-faculty interaction, experts say. But there are few other things this population needs to keep in mind.

Before anything else, veterans should determine whether online learning is right for them, says Matthew Miller, a military admissions counselor at Pennsylvania State University--World Campus. This is particularly important for veterans because although they may no longer be on active duty, some still have jobs that station them overseas or involve some type of military commitment.

By doing research online and speaking with online students and program staff, veterans can gather information to find the best fit, says Amy Riley, a student success counselor at Oregon State University Ecampus, the university's online arm. Starting applications early -- at least a few months before the deadline -- is key to finding a program that meets their academic needs, accepts their military education benefits and provides helpful support.

[Weigh the pros and cons of online education for veterans.]

"Getting through a university and the government systems can take some time," Riley says.

Veterans in particular should follow these five steps to pick an online bachelor's program. Meanwhile, active duty military members should explore resources online to determine what types of tuition assistance and other benefits might be available to them.

1. Consider what type of online program you're looking for: Just like any prospective online student, veterans need to explore whether a program is legitimate by, for instance, seeing if it's accredited.

Experts say they may also consider whether they want a program with live instruction from a professor or self-paced learning, and should check if a program of interest offers the academic discipline they're looking to pursue.

2. Determine the benefits you can use in potential programs: Online programs must be certified for the GI Bill in order for veterans to receive federal benefits for tuition, housing and books.

They should "figure out what all their benefits are going to be, and what they're going to be allowed to do and what they're not going to be allowed to do ," which can vary a mong programs, says Debbie Campbell, vice dean of Temple University's Fox School of Business, which offers online undergraduate programs.

Experts advise veterans to examine how their benefits will apply to college costs by inserting their information into the GI Bill Comparison Tool or similar websites. Miller, of Penn State, suggests asking to be put in touch with a veteran point person in a program of interest to understand how pursuing online education can impact benefits.

3. Understand how the program's format and your enrollment status will affect your housing stipend: Veterans should be aware that taking all of their classes online can affect the funds they get for housing.

For exclusively online students, the basic housing allowance is half the national average if they are enrolled in a program at least half-time, or the number of credits that's considered full time divided by two, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Part-time students taking only online classes might not receive any housing stipend at all, though Campbell says this can vary from state to state.

[Learn how to decide between part-time and full-time online degree programs.]

The amount of funding a veteran is given for housing is also determined based on living expenses in the zip code of the school's campus, not the location of the online student.

This is something that Alex Holt, a retired Army ranger who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, needed to keep in mind when he applied to UF Online at the University of Florida, he says, where it's generally cheaper to live than south Florida.

"It was kind of trying to weigh how much school I could take on and still be successful, and how much work I was going to have to do to be able to afford to live down here," Holt says.

Veterans can usually get the full housing stipend by taking just one on-campus course and the rest online, Miller says -- something to consider when picking a program.

4. Explore student and support services for veterans. Having a dedicated academic adviser is helpful because approval of veterans' benefits are often closely tied to their degree plan and requirements, Riley says.

And veteran-specific staff are a major plus, especially if they are available for online students around the clock, experts say.

"Just knowing that you have somebody that maybe is a veteran themself, or has family members that know the community -- that's a big help to them. It makes them feel a little bit more relaxed," says Miller, of Penn State.

Career services are also an essential consideration for veterans, says Kathy Harper, a spokeswoman for UF Online.

"If they're getting out of the military, career placement is going to be a big thing," she says, so it's important to look at a program's job placement rates as well.

5. Research a program's credit transfer policies, including for military experience. Experts say to consider a school that, if applicable, will allow veterans to transfer previously earned credits into the program. Veterans may be able to translate military service into credit.

[Discover three ways to get academic credit for military training.]

In general, veterans shouldn't shy away from asking a lot of questions throughout the process, Miller says.

"The opportunities are out there, and I just stress that folks take advantage of them -- interact with admissions and outreach staff to get their questions answered," Miller says.

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.