Press Releases - Education4Military.com

Browse the latest news and information about online distance learning, military tuition assistance, along with a host of other topics relevant to military life. Make sure to arm yourself with the latest trends and developments that are certain to impact your military to civilian transition. Tap into these resources now, so you'll be better prepared to take on the civilian job market.

Laguna Hills, Calif. - Aug. 20, 2007 - A 2005 Army study revealed that approximately 15% of its enlisted soldiers were of either Hispanic or Asian descent. The same study noted that from 1995 to 2005 the percentage of Hispanic soldiers serving in the active-duty Army more than doubled.

It's probably a fair bet that some of these soldiers are the children of immigrants and grew up speaking their parent's native language. And much the same can probably be said for members of the Marine Corp, Navy, Air Force, Army National Guard and Coast Guard.

It's common to remark that the military is a reflection of the society it defends, and the most recent U.S. Census Bureau reported that an estimated 11% of Americans speak a second language fluently. Military service members who speak and write two languages can help their transition from the military by marketing themselves to employers who operate in diverse communities.

Careers that may require work with immigrant communities, like those in the medical field, benefit greatly from bilingual skills. Today many medical offices and hospitals serve communities whose residents speak only Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, or any number of immigrant languages. A Medical Administrative Assistant or Medical Biller who can speak Spanish, for example, will be a very useful employee.

The same goes for careers in the real estate industry. Real estate agents, real estate appraisers and home inspectors that can serve the members of a specific ethnic group, are assets to clients, customers, homebuyers, brokers or whomever they do business with. Spanish-speaking military personnel who go on to be licensed contractors can use their skills in the home building industry

Bilingual service members need to promote their language abilities to potential employers. Because many service members grew up speaking both English, and their parent's native language, they don't recognize its importance. This is a mistake. It is a marketable skill and should be listed on resumes and mentioned in job interviews.

Service members can use their military tuition assistance programs to help pay for up to 100% of tuition and fees for military distance learning courses in real estate, the medical field and business. Service personnel should take advantage of this military education benefit to beef up on their career skills and prepare for their military to civilian transition.
more>>

Posted by Allied Schools @ 10:01 AM • 0 comments

Laguna Hills, Calif. - Aug. 17, 2007 - The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data indicating that more than half of veteran-owned businesses are home-based operations. The study also revealed that veterans tend to be better educated than their non-veteran peers.

The government reported there are three million veteran business owners in the U.S., with 51.8% of them operating home-based businesses. It was also revealed that veteran business owners, at the time of acquiring the business, were more likely to have a college degree than their civilian counterparts.

With thousands of service members making their military transition to civilian life each year, the census findings will help shed light on their economic impact.

George Achenbach, for one, is not surprised by the findings. He is president and C.E.O. of Allied Schools, which provides online distance learning for military, both active-duty and veterans, along with courses for civilians.

"We're seeing more and more service members taking online military courses that can lead to a home-based business," he said. "Active-duty military members know it's a tough job market. By the time they separate from the service and become veterans, they want to be ready to earn a living."

Achenbach noted that some of his school's military distance learning courses can lead to home-based careers. He gave courses like medical transcription, home inspection, contractor license and principles of small business management as examples.

The education level of veterans is no surprise, considering they can take advantage of military education benefits like the GI Bill and US Military Tuition Assistance. Somewhat less known than the GI Bill, US Military Tuition Assistance (or Federal Tuition Assistance) allows active-duty military members to take with up to 100% of their tuition paid by the government.

Details of the U.S. Census Bureau survey can be seen by visiting the Bureau's website at www.census.gov/csd/sbo/veteran2002.htm
more>>

Posted by Allied Schools @ 9:27 AM • 0 comments

Laguna Hills, Calif. - Aug. 15, 2007 - Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers are now sent on longer and more frequent deployments, and the stress these tours puts on a soldier's civilian career and educational plans is often considerable. ARNG soldiers serving repeated tours in Iraq, for example, might give up on the thought of further schooling until they separate from the ARNG or receive assurances that the frequency of foreign deployments will begin to slow down.

Two important military education benefits work hand-in-hand to help ARNG soldiers pursue civilian career training while they continue to serve their country. The first resource, made possible by the Internet, is online military distance learning. For Guard soldiers, this shouldn't be confused with the National Guard's distance learning network, which allows soldiers to complete military occupation skills qualification (MOSQ) training in their home states. Instead, military online education means that ARNG soldiers can take a 100% online civilian education course in something like real estate appraisal or home inspection, even while they're serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. All that is required is a computer and an Internet connection.

This option is proving popular with many Guard soldiers who are trying to both, serve their country, and also ensure they will have the enhanced skills military to civilian transition when their deployment ends. A 2005 Department of the Army demographic study reported that 52% of ARNG soldiers were married and 42% of them had children. Assuming these figures to be similar for 2007, it means that many ARNG soldiers have families to care for, and no cost career-training is something that will give these soldiers a leg up in the competitive civilian job market.

And how are enlisted Guard soldiers supposed to find money for civilian job training? The good news is that they don't have to, because Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) will pay up to 100% of an ARNG soldier's tuition and fees for distance education. Guard soldiers are advised, however, to apply as early in the fiscal year as they can; applications for FTA are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis and funds may run out.

Guard soldiers are in an enviable position because the Army National Guard is the only service branch that normally allows soldiers to draw from both the GI Bill and FTA simultaneously. This may allow Guard soldiers to cover their education costs and obtain military assistance funding for expenses while taking courses. It's not uncommon for ARNG soldiers to use it in conjunction with the GI Bill and Kicker Programs for maximum coverage.

Sadly, despite federal efforts to promote FTA benefits to ARNG soldiers, many Guard soldiers are either not aware of this military education benefit, or they choose not to enroll. To take advantage of FTA, an ARNG soldier should contact an accredited online school, enroll in a military distance learning course, fill out an Army National Guard Tuition Assistance form and then authorize it through his servicing education center or by his school's representative.

ARNG soldiers benefit from 100% online military distance learning courses because there is usually no set time schedule for finishing a course. And this is an extremely important consideration, because the operational tempo of many Guard units is at a fever pitch these days. With online courses, the completion of readings, assignments and tests are entirely up to the individual Guard soldier. Many online schools also feature live student support so soldiers can e-mail or call education support representatives. Guard soldiers can learn more about Federal Tuition Assistance at the National Guard's Virtual Armory site www.virtualarmory.com/education/

Labels:

more>>

Posted by Allied Schools @ 8:55 AM • 0 comments

Laguna Hills, Calif. - Aug. 10, 2007 - As conflict continues around the globe, many U.S. military personnel find themselves on longer, and often repeated, deployments overseas while serving their country. Many have begun to consider post-military job training, and some have even chosen to take military continuing education online as they serve.

Military distance learning, or online schooling, has become an increasingly popular choice for U.S. servicemen and women, as it requires only a laptop and an Internet connection, services that even combat soldiers can access. "Military correspondence courses online offer service members a way to start taking courses in real estate, the medical field or business, no matter where in the world they're stationed," said George Achenbach, CEO, Allied Schools, the nation's largest vocational distance education school.

Achenbach explained that Allied Schools works with all branches of the military and accepts 100% Military Tuition Assistance for most programs. "Whether someone's in the Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Navy, Army or Coast Guard, they can use tuition assistance for military to pay for their career training," he added. "It's a great opportunity for those who have given so much to their country."

Corporal Eric Storrie, U.S Marine Corps, has taken advantage of his branch's transition assistance program to take real estate and home inspection courses from Allied Schools. And despite a schedule that has taken him in and out of Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world he finds time to study. Corporal Storrie explained that the busy, and sometimes dangerous life of a Marine, doesn't prevent him from furthering his educational goals. "During lunch break, after work, in the airport and even in the mountains of Afghanistan, Allied's flexible and well-structured courses helped me pass."

"The real key to military distance learning classes is that military personnel can train as they serve," Achenbach said. "And Allied Schools will even provide a laptop computer at no cost if the serviceman or woman needs that."

First Lieutenant Sonya Moore, US Army, has her sights set on being a business owner some day. She took advantage of US Army tuition assistance and got her small business training online with Allied Schools and hopes to become a music promoter. "Online military distance learning has helped because it has allowed me the opportunity to learn at my own pace," said First Lieutenant Moore. "The military education benefit provided me with 100% Tuition Assistance and helped me get started."

Allied Schools is a Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) affiliated school. DANTES is a Department of Defense organization created to help service members pursue educational goals through non-traditional means during active military duty.

Labels: ,

more>>

Posted by Allied Schools @ 3:57 PM • 0 comments

Military Tuition Assistant