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. That’s why we’ve put together this report that gives you the facts about Western Carolina University veteran services to guide your decision.
To learn about GI Bill® and Yellow Ribbon benefits, see: Western Carolina University GI Bill® Information
What’s Covered in Our Report on WCU:
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. According to the VA, there are 525 GI Bill® students at WCU. As the school’s total enrollment is 9,867, about 5.3% of the students are using the GI Bill® to help pay for their education. As a benchmark, the Student Veterans of America puts the share of veteran college students nationwide at three to four percent.
All GI Bill® chapters are included here: Post-9/11, Montgomery, Reserve Education Assistance, and Veteran Readiness and Employment. It leaves out active-duty personnel using Tuition Assistance, meaning the total military presence may be greater. Veterans make up 0.2% of the student body at WCU, per U.S. Department of Education data.
Western Carolina University participates in the following veteran programs and offers the services below.
| Federal Program | Participation |
|---|---|
| Principles of Excellence | Yes |
| DOD Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) | Yes |
| Eight Keys to Veterans’ Success | Yes |
| Yellow Ribbon Program | Yes |
| Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) | Yes |
What does this mean to me? 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) |
**Western Carolina University has a student veterans group on campus.**The school has a dedicated point of contact for veteran and military students. Visit veteran services.
WCU may recognize specialized military training toward college credit. Reach out to admissions for the specifics. Prior-learning credit can help you graduate sooner, so it pays to ask. Check with WCU about credit for life experience, CLEP and similar exams, or other prior learning beyond military training.
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs are not available at WCU.
The VA has no complaints on record for this college.
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.