Military members find academic opportunity in online education

Military members find academic opportunity in online education

Upon completion of service, many military members are left without a career path. An increasing number of soldiers are enrolling in distance learning programs in an effort to prevent this issue. These initiatives allow nontraditional students to complete their coursework online when attending class is not an option. Many service members enroll in these programs in order to have the opportunity to earn a degree while completing a tour of duty.

Military personnel who wish to attend college may benefit from researching degree programs that are designed to meet the needs veterans and current soldiers. In an effort to assist these degree seekers, G.I. Jobs magazine recently released a list of the country's most military-friendly schools. The publication named Cambridge College as one of the best institutions of higher education for service members.

The college also announced that it has signed a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve. Earlier this summer, Joseph Daisy, vice president of the school, and president Tito Guerrero III were honored with Patriot Awards in recognition of their support of an employee serving in the Massachusetts National Guard and Reserve.

"We've found that having service members and veterans as students and employees is a win-win situation," said Daisy. "As a college tailored to the needs of adult learners, we are a natural choice for many students with military experience. We benefit from the maturity, leadership skills, and work ethic that people with military backgrounds bring to us."

Many nontraditional students are enrolling in online education, as more than 4.6 million students nationwide were enrolled in online courses during the 2008 academic year, according to a recent report by the Babson Survey Research Group and the Sloan Consortium.

By Mark Danson