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Military Education News And Info

Stay up-to-date with news and information about your military education. You can get the information you need to make informed decisions about your online and military correspondence programs. Learn what's going on with military continuing education and how you can make a smooth military transition. Your civilian career awaits you!

One of the major sticking points for service members and military spouses looking to get an education may soon disappear. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would rework the nation's laws regarding access to higher education, with particular provisions that benefit military families.

The proposed bill is a reform of the Higher Education Opportunity Act and has many promising provisions, including one which mandates that schools provide in-state tuition rates to members of the military and their families. Currently each state has its own laws on how to consider military families for tuition rates, but one federal standard would ensure that high out-of-state tuition rates will not be an issue for service members or their families.

Military families often have to move from their home states when service members are transferred to another duty-station. When military families look to resume or begin education, they are often faced with tuition fees double or triple what they were paying in their state of residency.

The proposed legislation will also establish a military family scholarship and military spouse scholarship program for military spouses and dependents of active-duty service members (or National Guardsmen in some cases) during a time of war or national emergency. The U.S. Senate will now take up the bill.

Right now, however, there is still one important way that military families can take military distance learning courses without worrying about in-state tuition rates - and that's distance (online) education. When you enroll in a course online, it doesn't matter where you live or whether you move during your education. Military continuing education online is an excellent way for service members and military spouses to avoid out-of-state tuition fees.
Allied Schools www.education4military.com

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Posted by Allied @ 1:21 PM • 0 comments

If American employers need further proof that veterans make great workers, they should simply read the Soldier's Creed of the U.S. Army. The Army mandates that soldiers, not only learn the creed, but live it as they perform their duties. The other service branches operate under a similar set of beliefs.

A "translation" of the creed into the language of the business world illustrates the potential impact that veterans can have in a civilian business setting.

I am an American soldier. = I am an employee of Smith Inc.
I am a warrior and a member of a team. = I am a businessman and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army values. = I serve our customers and adhere to Smith Inc.'s employee manual.
I will always place the mission first. = I will always place the customers' needs first.
I will never accept defeat. = I will never accept poor profits.
I will never quit. = I will never waste the company's time.
I will never leave a fallen comrade. = I will never refuse a colleague who asks for help.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. = I am disciplined, professionally and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my business tasks and responsibilities. I always take care of my colleagues, customers, projects and company equipment.
I am an expert and I am a professional. = I am a business expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. = I stand ready to understand, learn from and compete with Smith Inc.'s market rivals in close market combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. = I guard the entrepreneurial spirit of America and believe that honest work benefits everyone.
I am an American soldier. = I am an employee of Smith Inc.

Military personnel can get a jumpstart on their civilian career by taking advantage of military tuition assistance, which pays up to 100% of tuition and fees for military distance learning courses. This military education benefit allows service members to pursue military online education while deployed worldwide.

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Posted by Heather @ 2:00 PM • 0 comments

A 2005 Army survey revealed that nearly half (46%) of all soldiers had children, with two kids per soldier being the average. That's a lot of children following their soldier parents around the world, and if we factor in the children of all other service members, we have a lot of school-age children moving from base to base.

The tales of military kids leaving behind their friends at one base, and then having to adjust all over again are legendary. Military parents are certainly sensitive to their children's discomfort at moving, but when the transfer order comes in - military personnel have no choice but to start packing.

Service members have one way of ensuring that their high school children's education remains the same whether they're at a duty station in California or Japan - and that's an online high school education.

Enrolling at an online high school is one way to make sure a child's education isn't interrupted each time a new duty station calls. As long as children have access to a computer and an Internet connection, their high school education can continue uninterrupted. And for parents worried that online high school classes aren't legitimate, they should understand that children can now receive an accredited high school diploma and not just a G.E.D.

The following are a few important factors for military parents to look for when considering an online high school. A school should have:
- National and regional accreditation
- In-house faculty with extensive credentials
- Live student support
- Weekly student/teacher meetings via the web
- Transferable credits and credit recovery

The advantages of an online accredited high school are many for military kids, but the biggest is that in a world of change, education will become a refuge for these children. Everything might change after a move, but a military kid's education will remain the same if they are attending a virtual high school.

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Posted by Heather @ 8:55 AM • 0 comments

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 market 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 online 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.

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Posted by Heather @ 3:51 PM • 0 comments

In an age of specialization, Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers are jacks-of-all-trades. And nowadays it's not uncommon for Guard soldiers to find themselves at a civilian job one month, then brushing up on infantry skills before a 12 to 14-month foreign deployment the next. And we're not mentioning their other "hats" as spouses, parents and youth sports coaches.

Now if transitioning from a civilian to military job weren't hard enough, many Guard soldiers perform several jobs within their units as manpower levels and mission objectives change. So, it's no surprise that ARNG soldiers can easily put on their "student hat" and take military online courses while serving on active-duty deployments, both in the states and overseas.

100% military online education is a natural fit for Guard soldiers. Whether it's in the military education center or the recreation room, most Army installations provide computers and Internet access. Even in combat zones like Iraq or Afghanistan, ARNG soldiers can study when they're off duty. And the good news is that nothing else but commitment is required for military distance learning.

And if convenience weren't enough, Uncle Sam will also pick up the tab. Army National Guard Tuition Assistance pays up to 100% of the fees and tuition from an accredited online school; Guard soldiers need to understand that ARNG tuition assistance is their military education benefit, but if they snooze they loose.

Online training means that Guard soldiers can come in from the day's mission, take a well-deserved rest, and then switch from warrior to book worm. For men and women used to being a civilian during the week and then a soldier on the weekends, going from a M-16A2 to a laptop is no sweat.

From a civilian perspective, Guard soldiers are the perfect "multitaskers," individuals who can fill a number of different roles without short-changing any of them. If the jack-of-all-trades is disappearing from our modern world, surely no one can blame the men and women of the Army National Guard for such a trend.

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Posted by Heather @ 3:39 PM • 0 comments