How to Use Your Veterans Benefits Towards School
… And Why Getting Trained in Tech is How Veterans Benefit Most!
What are Veterans Benefits?
Veterans benefits is defined as the services, programs and incentives that are provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or ‘VA ‘.
If you have served in the armed forces in the past, you are considered a veteran.
Entering civil service is a commitment to one ‘s country and with that comes discipline, life lessons and patriotism to serve the nation. One of the top reasons why many people join the military is for veterans benefits. Veterans benefits include health care, rehabilitation and employment assistance, home loans, insurance as well as education and tuition assistance. Although VA.gov has an entire list of all of the veterans benefits and services listed on their website, it still does not cover all of them. Many businesses and organizations, including Woz U, honors the service of military members by providing special discounts and offerings made available only to military members and their families.
Who is Eligible for Veterans Benefits?
You may be eligible for veterans benefits if you serve at least 90 aggregate days on active duty after September 10th 2001, as per the Post-9/11 GI Bill (VA.gov).Veterans, reserve, active duty, and military family members which includes your spouse, children and/or other dependents are eligible for veterans benefits, too. Although this is great news, navigating your veterans benefits can be very confusing and tedious at times. Life questions like ‘What job can I get after the military that will support my family? ‘ come into play when your active duty responsibility ends or you decide to enter the workforce as a civilian. Fortunately, there are training programs like Woz U that have admissions departments that can help you answer these questions. Our recommendation? Join an industry with explosive career growth in technology such as software development, data science and cyber security. Use your GI bill towards industries that will get you a high-paying salary and gainful employment for as long as you choose to stay in the workforce.
Why A Tech Education Is A Smart Choice for Veterans
For those seeking to start working and bringing income in as soon as possible, an accelerated tech education program is a quick and cost-effective way to do so. Many four-year colleges and universities require years and tens-of-thousands of dollars that put many students into massive debt. Take a look at the chart below.
| INSTITUTION | Avg. Total Tuition Price | Avg. Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Four-Year University education – Public | $37,640 [i] | 4 years |
| Four Year University education – Private | 129,640 [i] | 4 years |
| Post Graduate Education (Masters) – Public | 34,640 [ii] | 4 years |
| Woz U Program | $13,450 [iii] | 1/2 year |
[i] https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/college-costs/college-costs-faqs
[iii]Average tuition price per 12-33 week Woz U programs
Technology roles have extremely high job growth and starting salaries. Tech workers, on average, earned $108,900 in 2016 — more than twice the national wage of $53,040, according to CompTIA. There are also countless statistics out there proving that software development jobs, data science positions, and certified cyber security roles are in high demand. Thankfully, there are now ways for veterans to be able to affordably get trained in these crucial industries. Woz U ‘s 33-week online Software Developer program, for example, is approved to accept veterans benefits through our institutional partners. Outside of that, there is our Hero Grant, which can help military members and their families get up to $2,000 in tuition assistance.
Note: not all technology-focused programs and institutions are approved for the GI Bill and the VA for funding and not all applicants qualify for financial aid, so make sure when you apply for any kind of training program that you ask your admissions representative if they accept the GI Bill and VA benefits.
No one can argue that the people that are filling technology roles will have a huge impact in the next decade in how we communicate and make decisions in our day-to-day as well as how we solve problems on a global scale. It is a big responsibility, and we as citizens want to feel that we are authorizing the right people for these jobs–people we trust that are well-trained. Veterans are in a great position to fill these technology roles because of the disciplinary training and moral ethics that are put in place during military training.
You can future-proof yourself. Ironically, one aspect of the technology industry that will never change is how quickly everything changes. Languages, frameworks, databases and platforms get outdated. That’s why it’s important to make sure the program that you enroll in gives you access to updated curriculum in the field of which you study so that you can always stay current in your career. At Woz U, all graduates receive access to updated curriculum for free, for life.
You can get help every step of the way. It ‘s not easy to make a transition, especially one that takes you from one kind of lifestyle and career to the next. Thankfully, Woz U employs full-time career services professionals whose sole job is to help connect students and alumni with employers that are looking to hire great, well-skilled job applicants.
