I would like to be able to give a young man I know some advice on graduate school.
Background is he has a BS in Animal Science from one of the UC campuses. He only used 2 yrs of his benefits. He qualifies for 100% benefit. He had 2 more yrs available to him so is considering a Masters. California resident.
He is researching programs at Ca public schools. i would be interested if anyone knows of state schools outside of Ca who give instate tuition to Veterans.
He would like to make himself more marketable. He has found that jobs with a BS in Animal Science aren’t well paying. He is employed outside the Animal Science field in a well paying job but he isn’t happy. He is looking at programs in Animal genetics, business.I think he is open to other ideas. His field of study was beef cattle. He is hard working, physically strong, strong analytical skills.
I realize this post is long. In short I’m asking-
This is a link to information on The Yellow Ribbon Program, and how to find out which colleges and universities participate. My son used three years of GI plus Yellow Ribbon funds at UNC-Chapel Hill as an out of state undergraduate student. Some colleges are extremely generous with GI benefits. Washington College, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is one.
I thought that there was legislation recently passed that made all veterans using education benefits eligible for in-state rates at all public schools that accept veterans education benefits.
Ok, a quick Google search comes up with this (among other hits):
What is his status? Active duty or reserve? Disabled? Lots of benefits available depending on his status. Best resources are the ON CAMPUS VA representatives since the oversee and administer the local programs (Note: caps for emphasis as the regional VA offices can be misleading and the national offices worse) . His local CalVet office might give him some decent guidance as well.
As far as qualifying for in-state tuition regardless of residency, the individual must not have separated from the service for more than three years in order to qualify. If he’s a reservist there are other parameters.
Thanks for the info. It appears he is pretty on top of things and probably not in need of my advice.
TuckerTroy- he is presently in the reserve. I’ll suggest he look at Texas A&M.
His concern at this point is taking the GRE. He never took the SAT. He would like to apply for Fall so he is getting a late start.
You seem to indicate that this young man doesn’t know what he wants to study in graduate school. He’s got some options (animal genetics, business) but no concrete decisions. If that’s the case, then he shouldn’t apply to or go to graduate school just yet. The next month or so isn’t enough time for him to decide and gather the materials he needs to apply. If he has a well-paying job, he should sit tight for at least another year or so and do some digging.
What does he want to do, career-wise? It’s possible he doesn’t need a graduate degree to do what he wants or to make himself more marketable. Lots of people do lateral career changes without going back to school, and plenty of people work outside the field of their bachelor’s degree. He already knows that, since he’s doing it. A graduate degree in and of itself doesn’t make him more marketable. For example, what is he planning to do with an MS in animal genetics?
Even if he does need one, he should save his GI Bill benefits to make sure that he is paying for the right degree. For example, stats show that MBAs from lower-ranked schools don’t necessarily raise your projected salary too much. (Of course, as a CA resident, he’s got some excellent options.)
The short version is if he’s still open to other ideas then he’s probably not ready to get a graduate degree yet, since a graduate degree is a credential for a specific career or set of careers.
Have him check with each university Vet Service Center. They would have the latest information and probably have him talk to another vet who had a similar situation.
He isn’t my son and I’m working off info received from my daughter.
Lots of things for him to consider. I think he isn’t happy with what he is doing and wants a change. He wants to work in his field of study. In what capacity I don’t know. I don’t know if he knows.
He is doing the legwork. He’s reached out to his undergrad professors, has already spoken to a Professor at a program at an instate school that might be interesting to him. The professor invited him to a conference early in the new year. He’s applying for jobs.
I’m passing along the info I receive. Talking to the Vet center at each school of interest is good advice. He is presently debt free and wants to keep it that way.
I have told my D that she just needs to be patient and not rush him to make a change. That it is better to go slow and make sure this is the right next step.
Erin’s dad- he understands his benefits. He used them for 2 yrs to finish up his undergrad degree in his state of residency. He doesn’t know how much his benefit will cover out of state. For that answer I think he will need to contact the Vet Service center at each OOS school if he ends up applying outside his home state.