The Fund for Veteran’s Education

By Ginny Estupinian

As I have previously discussed in this forum, paying for educational expenses after the service is challenging and at times it feels like it is just not possible.  At times veterans can not even use the G.I. Benefits because it decreases other financial aid.  Recently, I came across a non profit organization that has a scholarship that is helping bridge the financial gap.  The Fund for Veterans’ Education is a scholarship that is basically available to veterans who were deployed for at least 60 days to Afghanistan, Iraq, or served in the surrounding areas.  The fund provides a maximum scholarship of $36,396 that is available over four years.  Based on the information that I read,  a veteran can use this scholarship along with other forms of financial aid. Therefore, before applying for this scholarship it is necessary that interested veterans first apply for financial aid.

If you would like more information or simply want to apply you can do so at : http://www.veteransfund.org/

3 Key Ideas to Maximizing Your Efforts at Job Fair.

By Ginny Estupinian

On March 19^th from 11:00am to 3:00pm , the Miami Herald is hosting the Recruit Military Career Fair at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is but one event that is being produced across the country in an effort to help veterans connect with employers. These job fairs are a great way to find out what employers are looking for, and a way to meet the people that make the hiring decision. Here are a few things to keep in mind when attending a job fair.

First, take a look at the event to see the list of employers that you might be interested in talking to. Before the event try to pull up information on the internet about these companies so that you walk in knowing something about what they do and what they stand for. You can get this information on the company website or simply Google the company name and see what appears. Another idea is to search the local paper website and look for articles that have been written about the company. By having this information in advance you will know what questions to ask as well as have comments to make concerning the company that might help you distinguish yourself from all the applicants.

Second, have your “elevator speech” ready and if at all possible change it up so that it fits to the companies that you are interested in. In a previous post I wrote about how to develop an opening speech that I called the “elevator Speech”. If you have not read it please scroll down and take a look. Now, assuming that you have the speech ready tailor it so that the person that you meet takes notice of you.  In other words, you want to make sure the company you are interested in actually has a position available that you can do. For example, you do not want to begin to talk about an entry level position if after doing your research you find that they are not looking for entry level candidates. However, just because this particular company does not have any openings in what you are interested in does not mean that the person you are talking to can’t help you. Remember that these folks know other folks that do the same thing at other businesses. So by having your speech ready you can ask them to refer you to someone they know that is looking for people with your qualifications. You could simply say, “I know that your company is not presently looking for ____ but would you know of anyone else that you feel I should talk to that could have use for someone like me”. You will be surprised how many times people will say “yes”, and give you  a referral that you would not otherwise get or know about simply because you asked.

Third, take the time to write down who you talked to and something about them on the business card or flyer that was handed to you. You are going to talk to a lot of people and at the end of the day it will all be a blur. Take the time as soon as you finish speaking with them to jot down some key points so you will remember later. Then follow up with a phone call or note the very next day. Some studies out there have suggested that only 5% of people ever follow up. That means that vast majority simply hope that their resume will be enough for them to be called in for an interview. You can push yourself ahead of  the pack by simply taking the time to call them at their office, and thank them for taking the time to speak with you. At the same time you can emphasis that you are still very interested in having the opportunity to interview formally with them.

New Survey Shows That 25% of Veterans Are Dealing with PTSD.

By Ginny Estupinian

Recently, the Central Connecticut State University Center for Public Policy and Social Research completed a survey of returning state troops. The survey clearly demonstrated that at least ¼ of those returning veterans met the criteria for being diagnosed for post-traumatic stress disorder.  Some of the problems that these returning veterans cited as most troubling included, problems with their spouse and partners, and difficulties “connecting emotionally with family”.  The survey further showed that about 19% of the respondents met the criteria that they are at risk for traumatic brain injury.  It is believed that the experiences of Connecticut veterans are similar to other veterans around the country. In fact, the Defense Department formed a task force in 2007 and found that about 38% of soldiers reported some mental health concerns in the months after returning from deployment.  The Defense Department report showed that the mental health concerns were as much as 49% higher for those veterans who had served as part of the National Guard.

If there is one thing that is indicative of these reports it is the sheer size of the need for mental health services that exists for returning veterans. We must remember that this is only a sample of the totality of mental issues that veterans are dealing with nationwide. The harsh reality is that our current system, in its present state, is not capable of tackling all these needs. More funding and research needs to be funneled to this very important issue. The value of these reports lies in begin able to bring to the forefront the gravity of the situation and allow for better understanding of what veterans are dealing with.

In a previous posting I discussed how law enforcement in some parts of the country are now looking at the disrupted behavior by veterans. By having an understanding that a veteran may be facing some mental health challenges it is allowing for emergency services to more effectively handle situations rather than assume that it is a criminal manner.

A bit of good news was announced this week by the Veterans Medical Center in Wichita Kansas.  The center is expanding its mental health department to accommodate the increase in post traumatic stress disorders by expanding its facility and the mental health staff.

NEW Small Business Loans for Veterans

By Ginny Estupinian

Approximately eight months ago the U.S. Small Business Administration launched a new loan program called the Patriot Express Loan. This new program provides loans of up to $500,000 to military community members, including veterans, service members leaving active duty, Reservists and National Guard members, and their current spouses. The way that the program works is that the Small Business Administration guarantees up to 85 percent of loans up to $150,000 and up to 75 percent for larger loans. This means that the banks that issue these loans have very little risk and should be willing to grant them more easily than other loans that have no government backing.  So far it appears that the average loan amount made in the last eight months was $101,000. According to the Small Business Administration they stated that about 860 lenders are participating in this program nationwide.

This is appears to be a great resource for any veteran considering starting their own business. However, based on some news reports that I have come in contact with it appears that few veterans are even aware that this program even exists. If you are a veteran or the spouse of a veteran as listed above, why not stop by your local bank and get some free information. Who knows, this may just be what you need to take your business forward and lets you live your dreams.

To Get A Degree or Not to Get A Degree

By Ginny Estupinian

As the economy begins to slow down and jobs become more difficult to come by, a lot of job seekers will turn their attention to considering getting a degree. After all, the links and banners on most job search websites are there screaming the virtues of getting a degree. There is also the first hand experience of looking for work and seeing that a lot of the jobs that you are interested in require a degree that you do not have. So a rational person would have to ask if getting a degree would be the answer to getting the job that they are looking for. The answer is both yes and no.

First of all getting a degree does not guarantee anyone a job once they have completed the program.  In fact even trade schools that used to offer job placement services after completing their programs are now quick to disclose that there are no job guarantees. One reason is that you could finish a technical training program and still be lacking the skills to interview well or simply not be a good match for the company culture. Secondly, how many times have we all known fellow students that were great in class and just lousy in the work place. Third there is always a risk of choosing an educational program simply because it is the hot thing that employers are looking for now. By the time that it takes to finish most programs it is possible that the demand for people with these skill sets may have disappeared. We all saw a lot of this with regards to the computer industry several years ago. During the 1980’s and 1990’s the talk was about getting into the computer industry (today we say the IT industry) because common wisdom told us that this would be the ticket to a successful career.  The around 2001 there began to appear a glut of people who had these skills and wages began to suffer also. One of the reasons for the loss in demand stemmed from the outsourcing of some of this type of work to other parts of the world.

Now this is not to say that there are no computer service related jobs available, or that everyone who went into the computer field is jobless. Rather what I am saying is that you can not bank on the demand for a specific field as being the reason to get a degree. Instead you really need to find what you are interested and passionate about first, and then see whether or not a degree is necessary.

A lot of my friends and I have known many individuals who went through a formal education just to hate doing the work once they got out. In one case a young man got his bachelor degree, and then went on to get his law degree, just to find out that he hated being a lawyer when he got out.  Think about it, that was a total of seven years of education and he spent well over a $150,000 to get the education just to exit the profession after two years. Fortunately he found his calling in life, and today he is a very successful commercial mortgage broker who is very content with his life and his chosen profession.

My recommendation for anyone considering getting a degree in a specific profession is to first spend some time talking to those that do the actual day-to-day work. Talk to as many people as possible first, and even try to spend some time with them as they do the work. This is why internships are so important and powerful tools.  We have all learned that there is a big difference between studying something and actually doing it. So definitely begin by spending the time to look to see what you are really interested and passionate about. Then if a degree is necessary you will not feel as much the burden of studying and spending the money to get the education.

3 Key Points to Know About Veterans Educational Benefits

By Ginny Estupinian

The current law that allows Veterans assistance with college cost first became law under the Montgomery GI Bill that was passed back in 1944. This law was initially targeted to help World War II veterans and is still a benefit that veterans can take advantage of today.  However, it is important for anyone using these benefits to know the limitations of the GI bill so not to miss out.  Knowing a few important key aspects of the bill will help in making the financial decision as to where you should go to school and how you will pay for it.  This is especially true considering a recent report from the College Board showing that the average four year public university could cost as much as $65,000 and the costs at a private university could be as much as $133,000.   

So let’s take a broad view of the Bill and take note of some of its features. In order to be able to use the benefit service members have to first have agreed to have $1200 deducted from their pay during their first year in the military. This money once paid in can’t be refunded even if the veteran decides not to use the benefits. A key limitation to remember is that the benefits are only good for 10 years from the date of discharge. According to many reports this time limit appears to be the single biggest problem for veterans who want to avail themselves of the benefits. Often when veterans leave the service they are not ready to go back to school because they may need to find a job first. Then years later they decide to return to school only to find out that their benefits have expired. Secondly, it is important to know what the maximum available educational benefits are. For veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan the benefits are $1,101 per month, or $39,636 over four years. However, for those veterans who served combat tours with the National Guard or Reserves those benefits are approximately $440 per month.  

The way that these benefits work is also important to recognize. According to the current regulations veterans must pay their own tuition, room and board, and other college costs upfront before they will be reimbursed up to their eligible amount.  Lastly, there is one more thing that is critical to know concerning these benefits. These benefits count against federal student aid when trying to qualify for student loans and other financial aid. In other words a veteran may not qualify for as large of a financial aid package because of these benefits. Therefore, it is very important that any veteran thinking about using these benefits first have a college financial aid officer work the numbers with and without these benefits to see what gives them the best outcome.

A Veterans Guide to the Pros and Cons of Obtaining an Online Degree

By Ginny Estupinian

 

In recent years a lot of universities have opened up their programs to cater to busy working adults by offering programs that are totally online. In other words you can complete a program usually on your own time without ever having to step into a classroom. The trend has grown so much that today just about every major university has some form of an online degree program available. Only ten years ago some of these programs were looked down upon by those that had attended the traditional classroom type of degree program. This is no longer true and even established professionals are utilizing this format to obtain advance degrees in their profession. Remember that when you complete an online degree it has the same value and respect as a degree from that same university that was obtained through traditional classroom settings. The degree you receive looks no different and is just a valid.

 

That being said what are the down sides of obtaining a degree online? One of the biggest problems is the fact that it is online and that you need to be self disciplined to do the work. For some folks going to a traditional class is one way that they stay motivated and on track towards completing their degree. Another draw back is that in most programs you will learn more from the book than from the professor. The reason is that a lot of programs don’t have the lecture portion of the class like you would have in a traditional classroom. Instead professors will post additional material, but it is not like hearing war stories and being able to ask questions on the fly. Some of you may be asking what about a webinar type of class that is online and allows for back and forth discussions among the class. Some schools like Kaplan University have such a program but it is limited to messaging back and forth during the class.  The reason for this format is that the cost of a traditional webinar is still beyond the reach of many universities. However, as technology continues to go down in cost I can see a day where real time lectures on your computer will be the norm rather than the exception.

 

One thing to remember is that there are a lot of programs out there and you do need to shop around to find a program that meets all your needs.

State Governments Take a Few Steps Towards Helping Veterans Make the Transition.

By Ginny Estupinian

On February 13, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a $6 million grant program aimed at helping Veterans to find jobs. The money will be spread through various state agencies and organizations across California who in turn will be matching almost $4 million in additional funds for a total investment of nearly $10 million. For example, $500,000 of this grant is going to the Fresno Based State Center Community College District and an additional $500,000 is going to the Bay Area, San Francisco Based, Swords to Plowshares organization.. Overall it is expected that 1500 newly discharged veterans will be helped by these grants in making the transition from military service to civilian workforce.

In Iowa the State Senate approved Senate File 2124 last month in an effort to help veterans get more help paying for prescription drugs, in hone nursing care, car repairs, and other expenses. The bill still needs to get through the Iowa House before it becomes law, but is a step in right direction to providing the assistance that these Veterans need.