Preparing for Higher Education

If you’re planning to pursue higher education, your service-specific Voluntary Education Program counselor can help you decide which programs are the best fit for your goals and provide information about financing.

Deciding which college to attend is much easier when you have the right information. Compare schools and programs with smart tools like the College Navigator, which provides information on more than 7,000 postsecondary education institutions, and TA DECIDE, designed for participants of the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program. You can also use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool to compare benefits by school.

Your service-specific Voluntary Education Program, listed in the Overview section, can also help you find programs that best fit your goals.

Get ready for some studying even before college begins. Most colleges and universities require admission exams with your application. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or DANTES, can help you prepare for enrollment and cover the cost of some of these academic tests. DANTES also offers college prep resources that can help you prepare for these admission exams, sharpen your study skills, and identify your interests and aptitudes to help you choose an area of study or career path.

The skills you’ve mastered during your military service can count just as much as quizzes in a classroom. The Joint Services Transcript converts your military experience into civilian college credit, providing documented evidence to colleges and universities of professional military education, training and occupation experiences. The Joint Services Transcript is a collaborative transcript program that replaces previous transcript programs, making it easier for colleges to read and recommend credits.

As a service member, you have several options that can help fund your schooling. Your service-specific Voluntary Education Program, listed in the Overview section, can help you identify grants and other kinds of assistance — like federal loans, tax credits and deductions, and military tuition assistance.