Military | Education Abroad | West Virginia University

Military, Veteran, ROTC, and military-affiliated students often participate in study abroad programs to gain further global experiences. These study abroad experiences can often enhance and compliment the international experience gained through their military service. Along with already demonstrating leadership, maturity, and strong work ethic, Military students and veterans enhance the study abroad experience for others in the kinds of backgrounds and experiences they bring to their programs. It is our hope that through their study abroad experience, Military-affiliated students will gain new perspectives as they study in a different culture and country. Their study abroad experiences and these new perspectives, in turn, will make the U.S. military, and the country, a better international ally, trade partner, and cultural partner.

Questions to consider

What military assistance and benefits can I apply towards my study abroad program? Are there any limitations to their assistance?
What military (along with family, school, and home) responsibilities do I need to take into consideration when choosing a program and/or timeframe?
Will I need to list my military service on a visa application and how will I do so? Will there be an issue with my visa if I served in certain countries?
What unique perspectives and previous global experience can I contribute to my study abroad experiences? What new skills do I want to gain while abroad?
How is the military viewed in my host country? How will that affect my experience as I learn more about the people and the culture of the host country?
Does my host country have a military or required service requirement? How are people who serve in the military treated in my host country?
Has the U.S. been involved militarily in prior action in my host country? Historically and currently, what is the local perception related to the U.S. military and their involvement?
Do I have or will I need a future security clearance?

Towards the end of your program abroad, store information on contacts for a current or future security clearance.
Create a document to store sustained foreign contact information for serious connections you make abroad.
Keep track of your addresses abroad and details for two references per address. You can check out the SF-86 form for more info.
If you already have a clearance, please consult your Security Manager about pre-and-post travel requirements.

In addition to my military affiliation, how might other parts of my identity affect my experience abroad?

Veteran's Benefits and Education Abroad:

In deciding the financial implications of education abroad programs, it is important to contact the HUB, your School Certifying Official, and the Education Abroad office. Each will have unique insight into your personal situation and applicable benefits. A brief overview of the different program styles and how Veteran benefits may or may not be applicable is spelled out below:

Exchange Program: with this type of program, you will be paying tuition directly to WVU at your normal rate but will be taking classes at a foreign institution; because of this, the programs are likely VA-benefit eligible
Faculty Led EdAbroad Programs (FLEP): with these types of programs, tuition comes directly to WVU, and courses are taught by WVU faculty; further, these short-term programs are often more feasible for students who have military/family obligations at home and cannot be away for longer periods of time
Direct Enroll Program: participants pay tuition directly to the host institution; for this reason, in order to use VA-benefits you will need to ensure that there is a School Certifying Official (SCO) at your host institution who will agree to certify your benefits; you can verify this through the Education Abroad Office or by visiting WEAMS
Affiliate Program: sometimes called a “third-party provider,” SCOs are often less likely to certify benefits for these programs because you would be paying your tuition and fees to a third party; if you were interested in an affiliate program, plan to meet with the Education Abroad Office to discuss the process

Additional Resources:

Homepage | Project GO (rotcprojectgo.org): Project Go is a Department of Defense initiative aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise, and intercultural communication skills of current ROTC members.

Gilman-McCain Scholarship - Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (gilmanscholarship.org): A congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State which provides awards of $5,000 for child dependents of active duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs.

VA Post-9/11 GI Bill: Study Abroad Program: Official information from the Veterans Benefits Administration on how the Post-9/11 GI Bill may apply to study abroad program fees and tuition. Use this as a resource as you work with the HUB and SCO to certify your financial benefits towards your study abroad program.