Federal Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov

Choosing a College

8 Questions to Ask

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Ready to transition from servicemember 

to civilian? You may be looking into an 

education program to help launch the next chapter 

in your career. As you evaluate your options, be 

aware that some for-profit schools may not have 

your best interest in mind. They may want to 

use your post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to boost their 

bottom line and may not help you achieve your 

education goals. They may stretch the truth to 

persuade you to enroll, either by pressuring you 

to sign up for courses that don’t suit your needs 

or to take out loans that will be a challenge to pay 

off. 

You can get important information 

about any school at the Department of 

Education’s (ED) College Navigator 

(nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator). For example, 

simply by entering a school’s name, you can find 

out whether it has profit or non-profit status, what 

its accreditation is, and what its default rates are 

for students. 

The Federal Trade Commission says getting the 

answers to eight key questions can help you avoid 

pitfalls as you pick the college that’s right for 

you. 
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1. What’s the total cost? 

How will I pay for tuition or expenses 

that my VA benefits don’t cover? 

Find out if you will pay by course, semester, or 

program. Are there fees for dropping or adding a 

class? How much will you pay for books, equipment, 

uniforms, lab fees, or graduation fees? In addition to 

your post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may be eligible 

for federal financial student aid that may offer more 

favorable terms than a private loan. ED administers 

several major student aid programs in the forms of 

grants, loans, and work-study programs. Get details 

at studentaid.gov. Consider other options, too, 

including community colleges. 

2. Of the recent graduates who 

borrowed money to attend the school, 

what percentage are delinquent in 

paying back their loans? 

A high default rate could be a tip-off that students are 

burdened by too much debt or having trouble finding 

jobs in their field. Get information about student 

borrowers’ default rates at College Navigator (for 

the colleges you’re considering) and ED’s Federal 

Student Aid site (default rate by type of school – 

public, private non-profit or private for-profit.)
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3. Will a degree from this school get 

me where I want to go? 

Will you earn a certificate, a two-year degree, or 

a four-year degree? What percentage of students 

graduate? Use ED’s College Navigator to compare 

graduation and loan default rates, average debt at the 

school, tuition and expenses, and accreditation among 

schools. Ask the schools you’re considering to give 

you information in writing about job placement and 

average salaries for their graduates in the program 

you want to study. They may paint a glowing 

picture of student success and try to convince you 

that credentials from their institution will lead to a 

high-paying career in your chosen field. But some 

schools manipulate the data or lie about how well 

their graduates fare. Do some research using the 

U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook 

Handbook. It has information about the average 

salary workers in a particular field are earning, the 

education or training needed, and the careers with the 

most new jobs so you can evaluate whether the results 

the school claims are realistic.
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4. Is there pressure to enroll? 

Is a recruiter rushing you to commit? Are they 

leaning on you to decide before you have a chance 

to research the program and confirm the details of 

financial aid? Recruiters may be paid based on how 

many students they bring in. Before you decide on a 

program, read the materials, including the contract. 

Can you cancel within a few days of signing up and, 

if so, do the materials tell you how to cancel? If 

the school refuses to give you documents to review 

before you commit, don’t enroll. Period. 

5. Can I get credit for my military 

training? 

The American Council on Education has a guide 

to help schools grant all possible credit for military 

training. Ask the school you’re considering if they 

follow the ACE Military Guide and whether they 

will grant you credit for your military training. Some 

schools offer credit for military coursework, but not 

for occupational specialties. 
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6. Can I transfer credit I earn at this 

school to other schools? 

If a transfer to another college may be in your 

future, find out whether that school would accept the 

credits you earned at the first school. If you attend 

a community college, ask about their articulation 

agreement: that’s a formal statement of what 

community college courses and credits you can 

transfer to a particular four-year college. 

7. Is the school accredited? 

Accreditation usually is through a private education 

agency or association that evaluates the program 

and verifies that it meets certain requirements. 

Accreditation can be an important clue to a school’s 

ability to provide appropriate levels of training 

and education – but only if the accrediting body 

is reputable. Most institutions consider regional 

accreditation as the highest stamp of approval and 

may not accept the transfer of credits from a school 

with national accreditation. Accreditation also 

may affect how prospective employers view your 

credentials. Two reliable sources of information 

on accreditation are ED’s Database of Accredited 

Postsecondary Institutions and Programs and the 

Council for Higher Accreditation database.
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8. Is the school committed to helping 

veterans? 

Many schools claim to be military- or veteranfriendly. How do they back that up? Is there access 

to academic and career support? Mental health, 

disability and medical services? What are the housing 

options for veterans? Is there help navigating the 

university? Student Veterans of America has chapters 

on nearly 300 campuses; their Connect Alumni 

program can put you in touch with veterans from the 

school you’re considering. What’s more, some 3,600 

institutions have agreed to follow the Department 

of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Principles of Excellence 

program, which includes designating a veteran’s point 

of contact for academic and financial counseling, and 

stopping misrepresentations or aggressive recruiting 

at their school. 

Bear in mind that some organizations use names, 

seals, and logos that look or sound like those 

of respected, legitimate military or educational 

institutions. Using the words “veteran” or “militaryapproved” doesn’t necessarily mean the schools are 

benefitting veterans or servicemembers.
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Resources

Department of Education, College Navigator

nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator

Federal Student Aid, Student Default Information

studentaid.ed.gov/about/data-center/student/

default

Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook 

Handbook

www.bls.gov/ooh

ACE Military Guide

www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Military-GuideOnline.aspx

Department of Education, Database of Accredited 

Postsecondary Institutions and Programs

ope.ed.gov/accreditation

Council for Higher Accreditation

www.chea.org

Student Veterans of America, Connect Alumni

studentveterans.org/what-we-do/student-veteranmeetup.html

Department of Veterans Affairs, Principles of 

Excellence

www.gibill.va.gov/resources/education_resources/

Principles_of_excellence/poe_list_2012.html
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For More Information

If a school hasn’t lived up to its promises, report it to 

one of these agencies.

Department of Veterans Affairs

benefits.va.gov/gibill/feedback.asp

Department of Defense

militaryonesource.mil/

voluntary-education?content_id=274604

Department of Education

Email ComplianceComplaints@ed.gov

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive 

and unfair business practices in the marketplace 

and to provide information to help consumers spot, 

stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free 

information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call 

toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 

1-866-653-4261. 

Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at 

consumer.ftc.gov/media to learn more. The FTC 

enters consumer complaints into the Consumer 

Sentinel Network, a secure online database and 

investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and 

criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and 

abroad.

Federal Trade Commission

consumer.ftc.gov

January 2014