Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Capicik knows that members of the armed forces face unique challenges in getting a college education.
“A lot is going on in their lives. They have families and move a lot. They’ll start a program at a traditional college, move and then have trouble transferring credits,” said Capicik, vice president for military programs at American Sentinel University.
When they’re deployed, members of the military don’t have time or access to attend school.
“Yet any job board will show you that people who hold college degrees have significantly greater opportunities for employment,” Capicik said. “A lot of businesses like to hire former military personnel because they are mission-oriented team players with good work ethics, but having a degree to go with that experience gives job applicants an edge.”
Because military students need more flexibility, American Sentinel University offers online education that is convenient, affordable and accessible. With offices in Birmingham and Aurora, Colo., American Sentinel University is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The school offers bachelor’s, master’s and a doctoral degree in nursing, with classes in eight-week terms.
“Online learning is a great option for active military men and women, veterans and their spouses, and about a fourth of our students come from the armed forces. We are committed to helping them achieve academic success,” he said.
For the past four years, the school has been named a top military-friendly university by Military Advanced Education Magazine.
American Sentinel offers programs that align well with military experience, such as computer science, information technology, information security, business administration, business intelligence, health care and geographic information systems.
Geographic information systems capture and analyze geographically referenced information. “It’s used in the military for battlefield management, but its applications have grown in the private sector so that it’s become a high-demand field,” Capicik said.
Geographic engineering firms, urban planners, public utilities and natural resource management organizations are some of the employers that hire workers with these skills.
Students may enroll in any month, and prospective students can use the university’s free transfer credit evaluation to see what credits will be accepted before applying. As a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges consortium, American Sentinel accepts credits from other institutions, and also confers credit for military training and other life and work experience.
Active and non-active military students, veterans and their spouses receive discounted tuition. Active-duty military students pay $250 per credit hour for associate and bachelor’s degree programs; the regular rate is $350 per credit hour. Graduate programs are also discounted. For active military, a scholarship covers the cost of books and most fees.
“The government offers active military personnel $4,500 a year in tuition assistance, but if they don’t use it, they lose it,” Capicik said.
Former military members can also take advantage of the G.I. Bill, which may provide as much as $56,000 in total benefits.
For information, go to www.americansentinel.edu or call 800-729-2427. To contact Paul Capicik, call 866-470-3743.
— AJC Jobs on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ajcjobs
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