Distance Learning and Online Military Schools

Why Online Education Works for U.S. Military

Unanticipated deployments? Orders that get in the way of class? There are a lot of events in military careers that can make it difficult for individuals to complete a degree. Online degree programs don't require students to be in a classroom on a certain day of the week, for an hour or two at a time. While online students still have deadlines, they can work at their own pace, stealing 30 minutes here and there to work toward a degree.

Many students unfamiliar with online learning are initially concerned that they won't receive enough attention or support from the instructor -- or that they won't have the opportunity to interact with and learn from other students. Advances in technology have created online learning environments. Though the environment and policies vary by school, the following are common:

• Shorter, accelerated classes (8-week classes aren't uncommon)
• Classes are offered more frequently and not on a strict semester schedule
• Secure portals are available to students who can log on to retrieve class materials, participate in online class discussions, take exams, and track their progress and grades
• Direct email access to professors, virtual librarians, and career counseling staff
• Online lounges where students who are online at the same time can instant message one another
• Online study guides, study groups, and supplemental course materials

In 2009, the Department of Defense reported that over 375,000 servicemembers took advantage of their voluntary education program, which includes tuition assistance. Almost 75 percent of those enrollments were for distance education programs. In turn, online education has proven to be an effective way to learn for the military.

Why Military Schools Are Accredited

The accreditation of schools started in the early 1960s so that colleges and universities could show the federal government that they met a basic level of quality when it came to curriculum, facilities, and academic excellence. Schools participated in accreditation so that they could be eligible to receive federal education money, such as grants and federal loans for students.

The first online university was accredited in 1991. Since online education has gained in popularity, employers, students, organizations, and even other schools needed a way to distinguish the quality of online schools. Because of the rise of what's been termed a diploma mill, accreditation of online schools has received even more attention. Diploma mills are schools whereby paying tuition, students earn--or rather, buy--a degree.

Every education benefit available through the U.S. military requires that schools be accredited by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to receive funds. This is to the benefit of the servicemember because it means the school is regularly vetted by an independent education association--preserving the value and reputation of the education. However, accreditation isn't the only necessary requirement for military-friendly schools. Each program, such as SOC or MyCAA, has its own criteria for schools to participate.

Choosing an Online Military School

Before individuals choose a school, they should have an idea of which military education benefit might be used to pay for it. Those who are on active duty, for example, might use Tuition Assistance or dip into their GI Bill benefits while military spouses will want to look at MyCAA funding. These various benefits determine which programs and schools one can attend, some of which are online schools or have online programs.

Servicemember Opportunity Colleges (SOCs) are also a good place to look for online schools and programs. Many military-friendly schools belong to the SOC Consortium, which requires military-friendly policies regarding the transfer of credits between institutions and the minimum number of credits required from a single school.

Many online schools that aren't part of the SOC are military-friendly and some offer discounts for active servicemembers and sometimes spouses, too. Different branches of the military, such as the Army, maintain online education portals. These portals provide access to online military schools and degree programs that have the military stamp of approval. Some schools are also now developing online classes exclusively for military students in order to increase participation and degree completion rates.

Education: Key to Advancing One's Career

Civilian education can help servicemembers earn a varying degree of promotion points depending on their branch of the military. There are additional benefits to a civilian education, whether or not individuals plan to have an extended military career. Those who aim to get back to civilian life at the earliest opportunity will be one step ahead of the game with a degree because they won't need to solely rely on their military education and experience to translate into a civilian career.

Those whose career plans start with the military and end with the military should keep in mind that certain opportunities are only available to those who earn degrees. A good example of this is the U.S. Army War College. The Army War College, which happens to have a distance education option, requires military candidates to have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for admission.