There is an old axiom, “people do not plan to fail, but they sometimes fail to plan,” and nothing could be more true when it comes to getting ready for your college educational plans. Planning for college is an important step, but it is something that many people do not take the time to do properly, and because of this they are not able to access all of the opportunities that are available to them. As you draw to a close in your military career, you should begin a list of things to do, goals to make sure you are getting the right steps accomplished toward getting that college or university degree.
You should be starting the process about a year before you separate from active duty. As the actual date of separation draws closer, you will have additional things that you think of that you can add to your list. Each person will have a timeline and set of goals that is a little different, so don’t be alarmed if your set of things to accomplish is a little different than someone elses, that is fairly normal. There should be a number of things that are the same however, and if your list does not have some of the features that some of your peers or friends have to cover on their list, you should seriously consider revising your list. Some of the things to remember: Deadlines- Deadlines exist for a reason, but they also are there to encourage you to be early. Early? YES. Many schools and scholarship organizations begin considering applications ahead of schedule, and if you make application as early as allowed sometimes you have a better shot of being accepted or getting in the door than you would otherwise.
Transcripts and Records: Make sure that you begin the process of gathering your transcripts and records at least a year before you separate, and look on the Internet for different lists of documents that you should have. Most lists have similar items, but by looking around you can find that sometimes a list will have an item on it that is not on other lists, that may apply to your situation. Make sure you get a copy of VA Form 22-1990, and fill it out and submit it when you are able to. That is the application for the Montgomery GI bill. If you apply for “anything” on the Internet, or elsewhere, make sure you keep a hard copy of your application for yourself. If on the Internet, then print out a copy before you hit submit, or cut and paste a screen shot of the application to a word processing document and print it out that way.
