Why Veterans Choose NC State

NC State Online and Distance Education has significant benefits. For many active-duty military members or veterans, flexibility was a leading factor for choosing NC State Online and Distance Education to continue their education. With the help of veteran alumni, we created this list of reasons why NC State Online was the perfect choice for them.

Flexibility

NC State Online and Distance Education offers more than 90 degree, certificate and licensure programs. Many of these online programs allow active-duty military and veterans to achieve their educational goals from all over the world — balancing a demanding work schedule with flexible coursework.

MilitaryFriendly.com ranked NC State seventh among Tier-1 Research Institutions on its list of most military-friendly schools in the nation. NC State earned the high ranking because of the online programs that are available to students.

“The flexibility of the online program and the continual efforts by the faculty to work with my demanding schedule was a key factor in me choosing NC State,” said Brian Vickers, a veteran and NC State Engineering Online alum.

Nationally Ranked Online Programs

Although NC State Online and Distance Education programs really took off in 2005, the university has offered distance education classes for more than 40 years. Many of those programs are among the nation’s best for veterans, specifically Engineering Online and the Jenkins Professional Online MBA.

U.S. News and World Report ranked NC State’s Engineering Online program fifth for veterans. All online classes are recorded and archived so students can access lecture material at their convenience.

Another top program sought by military members and veterans is the NC State Jenkins Professional Online MBA program, ranked 10th for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. The program focuses on helping students grow in their careers. Students can select from an accelerated (21 months) or flexible (up to six years) track and complete the program from anywhere in the world.

Programs With Veterans in Mind

NC State offers a unique undergraduate degree completion program, Leadership in the Public Sector-Military, designed to provide military and nontraditional students with the skills to be effective leaders at the local, state and federal level as well as nonprofit organizations.

Jason Davidson was enrolled in NC State’s Leadership in the Public Sector (LPS) Bachelor’s Degree completion program. He had his doubts at first about online and distance education.

“I was skeptical that an online program would provide me with the caliber of education I desired,” said Davidson, “but NC State and DELTA have gone to great lengths to ensure that DE [Online and Distance Education] students receive the same quality of education and opportunities as traditional students. Both the financial aid and academic advisors have gone out of their way to make sure I stayed on track and was able to pay for my degree.”

Financial Aid and Student Support

NC State offers tuition assistance to active-duty military members, veterans and their families through multiple programs and initiatives. One of those programs is the Yellow Ribbon program, a joint initiative between NC State and the Veterans Administration. Beginning Fall 2016, qualifying students can receive a payment of up to $5,700 per semester (fall or spring) to help offset the difference between in-state and out-of-state costs. The VA then matches that amount, providing a combined total of $11,400 per academic year.

In addition to GI Bill benefits, active-duty military who chose to enroll in courses are eligible for Department of Defense Tuition Assistance, which pays up to $4,500 a year. This benefit does not expire and does not affect a veteran’s GI Bill benefits should they leave the service.

The NC State Cashier’s Office knows that delays can occur in the processing of Veterans Education student benefit payments. As a result, NC State offers veterans and other eligible students a Payment Deferment Plan.

In addition to financial support, NC State has made great strides to support its active-duty military members, student veterans and their families. The university opened a new Military and Veteran Resource Center in November 2016. Although the center is located on campus, online and distance education students and their military family members have access to the center and its resources. The center aims to provide a one-stop shop for students who are connected to the military to get information about campus resources such as academic support, housing and health care. Students can contact the center by email ncstatevets@ncsu.edu or by phone at 919.515.5636.

This post was originally published in Online and Distance Education News.