The Veteran Supported Education Service Treatment Manual: VetSEd

to take two years, many certificate programs can be completed in far less time. Both
community and junior colleges are not for profit; however, the former are state funded
while the latter are privately funded. Community and junior colleges tend to attract more
non-traditional students, often those who are returning to school after time in the
workforce to increase their education and marketability. As a result, community and
junior colleges tend to have less of a ―campus‖ life compared to four-year schools and
rarely offer on-campus housing options. Many community and junior colleges have
tutoring, disability support and counseling services, all of which can be important
resources for Veterans with special needs. Because they are very receptive to nontraditional
students and are focused on training for jobs, community and junior colleges
do not tend to have the same course distribution requirements as four year schools. For
example, if a Veteran attends a local community or junior college to seek certification as
a substance abuse counselor, s/he will not need to take a philosophy course to meet
graduation requirements. Though tuition at junior colleges tends to be higher than at
community colleges, both offer much flexibility in terms of course scheduling, which
means students may take anywhere from a full course load to as few as one course per
semester. However, there are minimal enrollment requirements for returning Veterans
using GI Bill benefits. Lastly, many community and junior colleges have relationships
with surrounding 4-year schools that allow students to begin their education in the
community/junior college setting and complete their degree at the 4-year institution.
Proprietary Schools. Proprietary schools are for-profit institutions that offer training in
many areas. As they are privately and not state-funded, they may be more expensive than
public community colleges. Some proprietary schools are focused on specialized training
(e.g., ITT Technical Institute), while others offer a mix of specialized and general
educational offerings (e.g., University of Phoenix). As a result, proprietary schools vary
in terms of the types of degrees they offer. Some offer only certificate-level training
(e.g., Commercial Driver‘s License training), while others offer Associates, Bachelors
and/or Graduate level degrees. Many proprietary schools offer job placement services to
help graduates find competitive employment. However, fewer proprietary schools offer
tutoring, disability, counseling and Veteran-specific services than do community/junior
and 4-year colleges. Proprietary schools rarely offer on-campus housing options. Similar
to community and junior colleges, the experience of ―campus life‖ is less than at 4-year
institutions. In fact, many proprietary schools offer online/virtual degree options, which
are discussed in the section below. When looking into proprietary schools, it is important
to consider the school‘s graduation and job placement rates, as proprietary schools can
vary considerably in these areas. You can ask the school for their rates or search for this
information on-line.
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