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10 Online Bachelor’s Programs With the Most Veterans

By U.S. News & World Report

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.

For the increasing number of veterans and service members heading back to school, online education can seem like a great option.

Online learning gives adults the chance to earn a degree while balancing work and family commitments. And it allows veterans with physical or mental wounds the chance to do so while avoiding the challenges they might face at a brick-and-mortar campus.

[Explore the U.S. News Best Online Programs for Veterans rankings.]

Veterans who choose online classes will likely be able to connect with others who have military experience. In 2013-2014, for example, an average of 11.2 percent of the students in the 141 online bachelor’s programs that reported the data to U.S. News in an annual survey were either veterans or members of the military.

At the 10 online bachelor’s programs with the largest percentages of veterans and active-duty service members in 2013-2014, more than a quarter of the student body had military experience.

On the other end of the spectrum, 58 schools reported that 5 percent or less of the student body was made up of veterans or active-duty service members.

American Public University System, which operates two schools — American Military University and the American Public University — was the only for-profit institution among the top 10.

[Weigh the pros and cons of online education for veterans.]

The for-profit University of Phoenix, which has 213,944 online bachelor’s students — the largest program of all those that submitted data to U.S. News — didn’t crack the top 10. At the Arizona-based school, about 19 percent of students were either veterans or active-duty military.

Below are the 10 ranked online bachelor’s programs with the highest percentage of military veterans and active-duty service members enrolled in 2013-2014. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report. Cameron University was labeled RNP, or Rank Not Published, which means it fell in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates numerical ranks for RNP schools, but does not publish them.

School name (state) Total veterans and active-duty service members enrolled (2013-2014) Percentage of veterans and active-duty service members (2013-2014) U.S. News rank
Southwestern College (KS) 1,471 81.5% 136 (tie)
Norwich University (VT) 359 81% 98 (tie)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide (FL) 10,185 73.7% 5 (tie)
American Public University System (WV) 45,461 73.5% 27 (tie)
University of the Incarnate Word (TX) 1,241 47.8% 50 (tie)
Amridge University (AL) 168 35.8% 214 (tie)
United States Sports Academy (AL) 111 34.9% 131 (tie)
University of Wisconsin–Platteville 237 32.4% 50 (tie)
St. Leo University (FL) 1,822 30.4% 50 (tie)
Cameron University (OK) 166 29.4% RNP

School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed 296 public, private and for-profit schools for our 2015 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings. Schools reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of these survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. These data are specific to schools’ online bachelor’s degree program offerings and have no influence over U.S. News’ Best Colleges rankings assessing traditional bachelor’s programs. The demographic data above are correct as of May 26, 2015.

More from U.S. News

U.S. News Releases Best Online Programs for Veterans Rankings

Veterans Weigh Pros, Cons of Online Education

3 Ways to Connect With Fellow Veterans as an Online Student

10 Online Bachelor’s Programs With the Most Veterans originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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