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Patriotism during wartime and a lack of available jobs have led many individuals to choose a military career over a traditional educational path. As a consequence, government bodies as well as campus-based and online colleges have developed several programs to help those who choose to serve their country pursue their educational and career goals.

As of the last decade financial assistance programs have been growing and developing around the armed forces to allow active-duty soldiers the chance to get back in school. Of these programs, the G.I. Bill is perhaps the most common and well known and in most cases provides soldiers with complete funding of their college programs.

However, growing numbers of online degree programs and continuous efforts to improve them mean active duty members of the military need not wait until their service is completed to begin their educational pursuits. Many soldiers deployed in Iraq who have free time due to reduced violence in the country are using their free time to gain higher education through distance learning or online education programs, according to a recent article in USA Today.

Chief Warrant Officer John Dorman, who is learning calculus and geometry, told the newspaper he is considering becoming a mathematics professor when his service is through. Focusing on advancing his math skills helps Dorman “get away from it all” and provides him with a “good distraction,” he told the media outlet.

CollegeForSoliders.com, a website that provides distance education advice and program rankings for actively serving members of the military, named Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College and Charter Oak State College the best online colleges for deployed soldiers. The organization selected these schools based on their flexibility, course credit options and regional accreditation.

Soldiers who capitalize on their free time to enhance their educational qualifications while they are serving may ease their transition into a civilian lifestyle and remain competitive in the job and higher education sectors.

For many soldiers currently in the service the daily stress of their duty can be extreme. These kinds of distance learning programs are actually more of a hobby than a chore. Many soldiers report that staying busy with college courses helps keep them grounded and focused on progressing their life back home even while serving in the armed forces. In this way, the advanced coursework of a college degree is a way to keep perspective and help soldiers prioritize their lives back home for when they leave active-duty.

Online colleges have recently begun to go above and beyond in their efforts to assist soldiers interested in distance learning programs. Assisting these types of students in seeking civilian employment and tailoring their education programs to be suited to a civilian lifestyle is just the beginning of an encompassing distance learning program.

If you’re a soldier and you’re interested in earning a accredited degree, there has never been a better time to take a look at the online programs currently available. Soldiers are now able to complete the program, from almost anywhere in the world with these flexible and unique schools online!