Where do I Start?
That is a question we hear a lot. Well, let us try and help you with that. As a Veteran or a Veteran Dependent, you have access to benefits and resources that others don’t.
Accessing Campus:
You are going to have to go through the admissions process to get in to the school you choose. These processes usually take place a few times each year and there is application paperwork involved. Go to the school’s website that you are interested in and search Admissions. If you have some college credit already, you are a transfer student, if not you are a freshman.
Understanding Benefits:
In most cases you won’t do anything with your Veterans benefits until you are accepted into a college or university. The people that will help you with that are called Veteran Certifying Officials. Search them out to help you apply for and understand how to use your benefits on campus. UAB’s Veteran Benefits site has a great breakdown of the various benefits.
GI Bill Comparison Tool
You can use this VA tool to learn about educational programs and compare how your benefits will work by school. Also, it lets you see how many Veterans go to the school.
In-State Tuition
If you are using Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33), MGIB – AD (Chapter 30) or Alabama G.I. Dependents’ Scholarship Program and received an Honorable discharge within the last three years, you qualify for In-State Tuition in Alabama.
Dependent’s Scholarship
If a Veteran meets the proper Military Service, Disability and Residency Requirements their dependents qualify for this scholarship program.
Community College Locator
If you are interested in starting out at a Community College and then transferring to a larger college, or if you want to pursue a certification program from a Technical College, this ACCS tool will help you locate programs.
Prior Learning Credit
The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) has a program that awards college credit for prior learning or experience through a review of the student’s documented evidence. This is referred to as Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Think of PLA as a way to save time and money in your quest for a college degree.
