Veteran and military services at OCU
As a military service member, you’ve given a lot to your country. At Oklahoma City University (OCU), we have a long-standing history of support for military and veteran students and their families. We do our best to give back by supporting you as you pursue higher education and an advanced career. We have many resources for you including tuition assistance and financial aid options, plus a Veterans Service Office with counselors to help you take advantage of all the benefits that are available to you.
Take advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, and, in some cases, their families, can get several types of financial assistance when earning a degree at OCU. The first step is to see if you qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Generally speaking, you would meet those eligibility requirements if you’ve served on active duty for at least 90 days, whether continuous (all at once) or interrupted (for shorter periods over time), after September 10, 2001.1 The GI Bill could give you up to $27,120 for your education per academic year at a private institution like OCU if you qualify at the full-benefit level. These funds would be dispersed to you in several payments and could also be combined with housing and a books/supplies stipend. Use the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website to find out more about what funds are available and complete a benefits application to see for sure what you qualify for when you’re thinking about going back to school.
Yellow Ribbon Program
OCU is proud to offer Yellow Ribbon Program benefits on top of the funds you already will receive from the GI Bill program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement. Yellow Ribbon funds are offered by OCU to help cover the cost of a private school education and some of the additional fees typical of all higher education institutions.
Yellow Ribbon funds kick in after your Chapter 33 annual cap is reached. At OCU that means undergraduates could receive up to $22,610 ($11,305.00 from OCU and up to $11,305.00 VA match) and graduate students can earn as much as $14,030 ($7,015.00 from OCU and up to $7,015.00 VA match) in Yellow Ribbon benefits alone.
Yellow Ribbon Program eligibility:
You must qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level and at least one of the following statements must apply to you:
- You served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) and were honorably discharged
- You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service
- You served at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break) on or after September 11, 2001, and were discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability
- You’re an active-duty service member who has served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service)
- You’re a spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member who has served at least 36 months on active duty
- You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a veteran
- You’re a Fry Scholar
Here’s an example of the possible extent of your benefits at Oklahoma City University as a veteran at the 100% benefit level for the Post 9/11 GI Bill living in Oklahoma and pursuing an undergraduate degree. Your actual benefits may vary and will reflect a number of factors including length of service, military status, and more.2
Your estimated benefits
GI Bill pays tuition and fees directly to school: $32,744 per year
Out-of-pocket tuition: $0
Book stipend: $1,000 per year
Total paid to you: $13,636
Estimated benefits per term
Tuition and fees
Fall: $16,372
Spring: $8,790
Total per year: $25,162
Yellow Ribbon Benefits
Fall (paid by school): $0
Fall (paid by VA): $0
Spring (paid by school): $3,791
Spring (paid by VA): $3,791
Total per year: $7,582
Other military tuition assistance options
You can have a significant amount of your university costs covered between the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon benefits. However, there are additional options for tuition reduction through scholarships, grants, and other sources that may depend on your demographics, branch of the military, field of study, and more.
Scholarships and grants
There are also many scholarships for military dependents and families (which include children and spouses of personnel serving on active duty, in the reserves, or in the National Guard). Check out groups like the Army Women’s Foundation, the Army Scholarship Foundation, Folds of Honor, Scholarships for Military Children, Army Nurse Corps Association, Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA), Wings Over America, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Military Officers Association of America, and more. Reach out to the OCU Veterans Services Office for assistance. You can also look up local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts and other associated groups that might have funding opportunities available.
Online degree programs for veterans
Online degree programs are popular for an obvious reason: their immense flexibility. Now you can go to school without a move or daily commute–meaning you get more time for work, family, and friends. At OCU, the distinguished online nursing program faculty and online counseling program faculty are the same faculty who instruct on-campus courses, guaranteeing an exceptional online educational experience.
Earn your RN-BSN or MSN Online
Further your call to serve by joining the powerful ranks of BSN and MSN-prepared nurses across the country. With about 94% of all nursing students secure jobs 4-6 months post-graduation,3 this could be a clear path forward for you in civilian life. OCU’s nursing programs were designed by our expert nurse faculty to prepare the next generation of professionals who will tackle future public health issues, healthcare reform, increasing technology in the field, and go on to educate even more students to become health workers.
Both of our nursing programs feature asynchronous lesson delivery and coursework with no traditional clinical hours. Review our nursing admissions requirements to see which degree you might be eligible for.
RN-BSN Online
- 2 starts each year: fall and spring
- 124 credits total
- 18 credits of core nursing courses
- At least 12 credits of elective coursework
- Remaining credits to be earned through an active, unencumbered U.S. RN license and portfolio experiences
- Complete in as few as 12 months (2 semesters)
MSN Online
- 3 starts through the year: fall, spring, and summer
- BSN-MSN: 33 credit hours
- Complete in as few as 5 semesters, 1.5 years
- RN-MSN: 46 credit hours
- Complete in as few as 6 semesters, 2 years
Three specialization options: Education, Community-Based Public Health, or Leadership
Earn your M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Provide a crucial service to your community and military peers as a counselor.
In a 2022 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 47% of the U.S. population was living in a mental health workforce shortage area4 and about 5 million veterans seek mental health treatment each year.5 The Oklahoma City University online master’s in mental health counseling equips you with the knowledge and hands-on experience to effectively support and work with the military community and broader society through its comprehensive curriculum, practicum, and internship experiences.
Review the admissions requirements for counseling to get started.
Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Online
- 3 starts each year: fall, spring, summer
- 60 credit hours total
- Fully online
- State-approved curriculum for licensure & Certification National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE)
- Flexible and remote Skills Labs using Microsoft Teams
- Practicum and internship included
- Complete in as few as:
- 2 years with full-time enrollment
- 3 years with blended full-time/part-time enrollment
- 4 years with part-time enrollment
You can afford an excellent education at a private university
At OCU, we’re committed to our military veteran students. Our Veteran's Service Office will assist you with getting your VA benefits started, and work with you to keep them each semester. We’ll also complete an assessment of any transfer credits from previous colleges or military training so you have a roadmap of what you need to complete to obtain your degree. Our goal is to make your transition to OCU as smooth as possible and to assist in every way.
This will only take a moment.
Get a Program Brochure
Considering a degree to take your career to the next level? Your journey starts here. Complete the form to get a program brochure for the Oklahoma City University online program of interest to you.
Get valuable insights into the OCU online experience, learn more about the curriculum, and see where this degree can take you.
Sources
- Retrieved on August 18, 2022, from va.gov/education/eligibility/
- Retrieved from the VA’s benefit calculator tool: va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/institution/31909136
- Retrieved on August 18, 2022, from aacnnursing.org/news-data/research-data-center/new-graduate-employment-data
- Retrieved on September 1, 2023, from kff.org/other/state-indicator/mental-health-care-health-professional-shortage-areas-hpsas/
- Retrieved on September 1, 2023, from samhsa.gov/blog/supporting-behavioral-health-needs-our-nations-veterans