by our College Data Analytics TeamVeterans who have decided to continue their education should research their options to see which schools do a good job supporting those with prior military experience. Here we lay out the facts about College of the Mainland veterans so you can make an informed choice.
If you’re looking for information related to military tuition assistance such as the GI Bill® or Yellow Ribbon Program, go to the following page: College of the Mainland GI Bill® Information
What You’ll Find in Our Veterans Report on COM:
An increased number of veterans enrolling at a particular school means that college faculty are more adept at accommodating and supporting those with previous military experience. Based on VA records, there are 177 GI Bill® students at COM. Given that enrollment at the school is 3,342, nearly 5.3% of the students are using the GI Bill® to help pay for their education. For perspective, about three to four percent of college students in the U.S. are veterans, according to the Student Veterans of America.
This number includes all chapters of the GI Bill®, such as Post-9/11, the Montgomery GI Bill®, the Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment. Active-duty service members attending via Tuition Assistance are not counted, so the overall military population could be higher. About 1.2% of those enrolled at COM, per U.S. Department of Education data.
How a school’s veterans persist, transfer, and graduate is a useful signal of how well it serves them.
| Outcome | Veterans | All Students |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 20.8% | 27.1% |
| Transfer-out rate | 41.7% | — |
Rates are reported via the VA’s GI Bill® Comparison Tool.
College of the Mainland participates in these federal veteran programs and offers the support below.
| Federal Program | Participation |
|---|---|
| Principles of Excellence | Yes |
| DOD Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) | Yes |
| Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) | Yes |
What does this mean for you? Here are the specific commitments the school has made through each program it participates in.
| Career and Vocational Support |
|---|
| Accommodate Military Service Members and Reservists absent due to service requirements. |
| Align institutional refund policies with those under Title IV, which governs the administration of federal student financial aid programs. |
| Regionally or Nationally Accredited - view all accreditations |
| Provide information that increases accountability and transparency. |
| Participate in the Military Voluntary Education Review (MVER) |
**College of the Mainland offers a student veterans group.**There is a dedicated veteran and military student point of contact on campus. Learn more.
COM might grant college credit to those who have completed specialized military training. Contact the school to find out more about the particulars. Earning credit for what you already know can save you time and money toward a degree. Contact COM to find out if it grants credit for life experience, CLEP/standardized exams, or other prior learning.
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs are not available at COM.
Our data shows 1 complaints filed with the VA about COM. The table below breaks down the reasons for these complaints. Keep in mind the per-type counts may not sum to the total, since one complaint can fall under more than one category.
| Complaint Type | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Financial Issues | 0 |
| Quality of Education | 1 |
| Refund Issues | 1 |
| Recruiting/Marketing Practices | 0 |
| Accreditation | 0 |
| Change in Degree Requirements | 0 |
| Student Loans | 0 |
| Grade Policy | 0 |
| Credit Transfers | 0 |
| Post-Graduation Job Opportunities | 0 |
| Release of Transcripts | 0 |
| Other | 0 |
Notes and References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.