More than one-third of the military community does not understand or knows very little about how to use military tuition assistance
SAN FRANCISCO – Military.com, in recognition of today's holiday celebrating our nation's veterans, announced the results of its inaugural veteran education survey. The study explores veterans' awareness and planned usage of education benefits and highlights the need for greater outreach to the veteran community. Military.com, a site within the Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW) network, is the largest military and veteran membership organization, with over ten million members and 7.2 million monthly unique visitors.
Post 9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits
Most veterans are not aware of the increase in education options that the new Post 9/11 G.I. Bill provides, according to the recent Military.com survey. Sixty-three (63) percent of respondents did not know the differences between the Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) and the new, Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, which provides a 70 percent greater benefit over the MGIB and will cover 100 percent of tuition at many schools. Furthermore, an alarming 12 percent of respondents were not aware a new G.I. bill had passed.
"The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill is a watershed legislation that changes the education landscape for America's 2.6 million servicemembers and impacts many of America's 30 million veterans. This legislation provides a tremendous opportunity for our nation's servicemembers and veterans," said Loree Hirschman, Vice President, Military.com. "Education is a cornerstone in life advancement. For this reason, it is important that those who benefit from the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill are well-informed about the legislation – especially the changes in education benefits."
Planned Usage of Education Benefits
Thirty-nine (39) percent of survey respondents do not understand or know very little about how to use military tuition assistance and G.I. Bill benefits, suggesting a profound need to adjust how these benefits are communicated to the military community. While 74 percent join the military for the education benefits, just over half (55 percent) of active, veteran and retired military personnel are likely to take classes toward a degree or other training.
Other notable findings include:
- Of the respondents who are likely to utilize their education benefits, 21 percent are most interested in a Bachelor's degree program, while 21 percent are interested in individual courses and 16 percent would like to enroll in training or certification programs.
- When selecting an education institution, the military community rates the quality of faculty most important. Convenience and tuition/scholarships are also important factors to survey respondents.
- Thirty six (36) percent of respondents would transfer education benefits to a spouse, while 48 percent would apply them to their children.
For more information about veterans' education benefits or additional details regarding the survey findings, please visit http://www.military.com/veterans-day.
Survey Methodology
The findings presented in this report are the results a nationwide online survey conducted by Military.com in August 2008. The research sample consisted of 3,757 respondents from active duty service, veterans and military spouses.
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