by our College Data Analytics TeamAs someone with prior military experience, it’s a good idea to check how well the school services veterans before signing those admission papers. Here we lay out the facts about Santa Monica College veteran services to guide your decision.
To learn about GI Bill® and Yellow Ribbon benefits, see: Santa Monica College GI Bill® Information
What You’ll Find in Our Veterans Report on SMC:
A large number of veterans attending a college means the college and faculty are more used to supporting and accommodating the needs of those with prior military experience. VA figures show 364 GI Bill® students at SMC. Given that enrollment at the school is 21,194, approximately 1.7% of 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.
All GI Bill® chapters are included here: Post-9/11, Montgomery, Reserve Education Assistance, and Veteran Readiness and Employment. Active-duty military using Tuition Assistance are excluded, so the actual military population may be bigger. About 0.6% of the student body at SMC, per U.S. Department of Education data.
Santa Monica College supports veterans through the programs and services listed below.
| Federal Program | Participation |
|---|---|
| Principles of Excellence | Yes |
| DOD Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) | Yes |
| Vet Success on Campus (VSOC) | Yes |
| Eight Keys to Veterans’ Success | Yes |
| Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) | Yes |
Why does this matter? The commitments tied to each program this school joined are listed below.
| Career and Vocational Support |
|---|
| Educational and Vocational Assessments and Counseling |
| 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) |
**Santa Monica College does have a student veterans group.**SMC provides a dedicated staff member to assist veteran and military students. Veteran services.
Veterans with specialized military training may be able to earn college credit at SMC. Reach out to admissions for the specifics. Credit for prior learning can shorten your time to a degree, so it’s worth asking about. Check with SMC about credit for life experience, CLEP and similar exams, or other prior learning beyond military training.
There are no ROTC programs offered at SMC.
No complaints about this school have been filed with the VA.
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.