Washington State University

I'm in the Air Force - plan to separate in 2018 as a Staff Sergeant/E-5 and finish Masters degree; will finish Bachelors in Criminal Justice in 2017. I was at a for-profit school (American Military University, just look at the name... seriously). I went there to finish my CCAF degree (Air Force's Associate Degree) and then transferred to WSU as an online student while full-time working. WSU took 48 out of 61 credits, which is A LOT because of the military credits didn't really count. The classes transferred over though which was great because I started off as a Sophomore in January of 2016. I will be a Junior for the Summer Session of 2016. I am very excited to being close to finishing my degree, it is a lot of work though if you're at an actual college/university that isn't solely there to take your money and give you crap classes with a worthless degree. The four professors I currently have are great, always reply to my e-mails. They are strict, unlike for-profit schools where you post like one discussion post a week for the entire semester. What kind of learning is that, seriously? As a Veteran, I was able to qualify for in-state tuition, veteran's partial tuition, and even grants from FASFA. Overall, I received over $8,000 in grants. I did pay for books out of pocket, but after the grants I was actually refunded a VERY good amount unlike my previous "college". Being a Veteran, it truly make the experience a lot better... if you are in the military or a Veteran, I highly recommend this school especially if you decide to stay in WA because it's a great feeling of pride to be a Cougar here. The benefits you receive for being a Veteran are AMAZING, I would have NEVER, EVER thought I'd receive money to attend school. As a matter of fact, for my Summer Session 2016 I'm taking 6 courses. I put in for my Montgomery Bill, but I was denied because the VA Office at WSU reported I was charged $0.00 FOR ANY DUES OR TUITION! This means I am not paying anything, let alone I have Military Tuition Assistance. I apologize in advance if this sounds biased, this is more for the Veterans or those in the Armed Forces. Great experience, awesome feeling of pride to be able to wear this uniform and the Cougar uniform.

I am currently a WSU student in my senior year with 2 semesters remaining. Whether you are an in or out of state resident, this is an outstanding university to attend. What is great about it is that, with my personal experience for example, I am an in-state resident yet currently working overseas & this institution is very accommodating. In addition, you have a fairly decent range of courses you could take for the BA in Social Science. I really enjoy the depth of the curriculum. Along with that, the instructors are extremely helpful to their online students which is very much needed when one goes to school full-time, works, and has a family to care for. You definitely know you are getting your money's worth from this non-for-profit entity. I am pretty independent now in my online learning experience (this is my third year taking online courses, with obtaining my AA from a Seattle based community college which was also a fabulous experience), however, when needed, my advisor assists me whenever called upon with a wealth of information and advice. People talk about how expensive it is, but it is comparable to most universities. In addition, Washington state is suffering from budget cuts which have resulted in the increase of tuition fees. Nevertheless, WSU strives to maintain and surpass academic excellence. I highly recommend that anyone considering obtaining a degree online give WSU some serious consideration. There a number of accredited for-profits that may good or even great. But, with WSU you will receive an amazing learning experience, I promise.