Hi everyone and welcome (or welcome back) to the blog “Soldier to Student”. This post is going to be 5 reasons why you should get your bachelors degree after getting out of the military!
Higher Earnings: Those with college degrees statistically make more money and are more financially stable than those without college degrees. Below I am going to provide statistics from two different sources and let the numbers talk for themselves. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
“Those without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $721
High school grads with no college had median weekly earnings of $905
Those with some college or associate degree had median weekly earnings of $1,012
Those with a bachelor’s degree had median weekly earnings of $1,499
Those with an advanced degree had median weekly earnings of $1,864”
In addition, according to the Associations of Public Land-Grant Universities
(APLU),
“Typical earnings for bachelor’s degree holders are $40,500 or 86 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma.
87% of bachelor’s degree holders report financial wellbeing, 20 percentage points higher than groups with any other level of education.
Median lifetime earnings are $1.2 million higher for bachelor’s degree holders.”
More Job Opportunities: Having a college education ensures a larger chance of employment as well as more job and career advancement opportunities. A statistic from APLU (a source mentioned in reason one) states, “College graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers whose highest degree is a high school diploma.” Having a college degree can open more doors for you when looking for work.
Education Benefits: By utilizing veteran education benefits you can go to school for FREE. According to the Education Data Initiative, “The average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at an in-state public 4-year institution is $27,146 per year or $108,584 over 4 years.” College is not cheap but veterans who served more than three years honorably have access to the GI Bill which will cover tuition and fees.
Transition from Military to Civilian: Going from the military to civilian life can be very stressful and attending college could be a good option to help you transition. Universities have a plethora of social and educational programs that veterans could utilize to adapt back to civilian life. The college I attend has multiple military/veteran clubs or organizations so there are opportunities to connect with others also in your position.
Solid Foundation: After leaving the military there is an instilled sense of discipline and maturity which can give you a strong foundation for starting and completing school. I personally found the military made me more responsible which is a good trait to have when working towards your degree. In addition, those who served also already have some college credit from the military. This can help to give you a stronger platform for getting started on your degree.
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