Photo: University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business
This article about how your GI Bill Benefits can help with your MBA is presented by the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business for those who served.
Veterans returning home may still be fighting multiple battles. Education shouldn’t be one of them. Before 2008, only 22% of veteran graduate students were using GI Bill benefits. After the Post-9/11 GI Bill passed in 2009, the number of veteran graduate students using their benefits increased to 46%.
Schools like The University of Utah have valuable resources when pursuing an MBA with your GI benefits. Here are five reasons veterans should consider pursuing an MBA:
Photo: University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business
President Trump signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act (the Forever GI Bill) in 2017, expanding veterans’ educational benefits. The GI Bill can cover tuition costs, money for books, and even living expenses. GI Bill benefits can also provide financial assistance for test preparation classes.
Guillermo Garcia, an Army veteran and student in the Executive MBA program, originally enrolled in a preparatory test class. Guillermo says, “My academic background wasn’t the strongest coming in, so the program pointed me in the right direction and helped me get in touch with some of the GMAT prep courses.” He says, “the GI Bill helped pay for the prep course too, so that worked out really, really well. They will pay for prep classes, exams, and everything.”
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Universities have programs designed to be flexible, like hybrid part-time MBA programs. They allow students to take a mix of both on-campus and online classes. Matthew Tuttle, a PMBA student and electronics technician with the Utah Air National Guard, says the flexibility was great. “I was deployed for a good part of my MBA program,” he says. “I took some online classes, and then, when I was back in the States, I took on-campus classes.”
The David Eccles School of Business offers four MBA degree options tailored to fit work and life commitments.
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MBA’s provide great opportunities for students to excel in business. And with an MBA, veterans can develop professional business skills they might not have in the military. These skills can help veterans transition into many different professions.
“It was broad enough that I could apply it in any situation because we learn about all different aspects of business,” says Kyle Neumayer. Kyle is a Full-time MBA student and Army veteran. “Whether you are in nonprofit, or you’re in IT, or you’re in any aspect of the business, you can apply whatever knowledge you learn here into those areas.”
Photo: University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business
Universities have created specialized support centers to offer comprehensive services to veterans. Veteran Support Center at the University of Utah assists students with VA benefits, financial aid, and scholarships. And they have opportunities for mentoring and tutoring. Plus, they provide free printing, veterans activities, refreshments, Swag, and even opportunities to connect with other veterans.
Matthew Tuttle found the Veterans Support Center especially helpful in processing his VA benefits for his program.“If a veteran is going to use any sort of VA benefit, they need to work through the Veterans Support Center here at the U, and that process is a well-oiled machine. They know what they are doing, and if they don’t have the answer or can’t do it, they can point you in the right direction.”
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The investment in an MBA degree also can be seen as one with immediate returns. MBA graduates see higher salaries upon completing the program, and there are also many opportunities for students to connect with employers, especially those with a military presence.
“My leadership in my organization is starting to look at me and target me for advanced roles,” he said. “They have seen that, through what I have learned, I am speaking a different language. I am more involved in higher-level, strategic-level planning. As a result, I am more curious about it; I am more engaged with it.”
To learn more about the University of Utah’s MBA programs and the benefits it can provide for veterans, click HERE.
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