College Readiness Resources
If you haven't sat in a civilian classroom for a while, there are MANY great resources to help you get off to a good start in college or vocational training.
Several great online learning systems are available on-demand for free to (re-)learn specific subjects, like any level of Math, Science, Grammar, U.S. & World history, Computer Skills, and to practice for your college placement tests.
You can also learn more general study skills, like good notetaking, correctly formatting reference citations for written papers, studying effectively for exams, sorting through large amounts of reading material, reading a course syllabus, and analyzing data.
Most of the resources we list here are completely free, but don't forget that in certain situations, the GI Bill will pay for some tutoring if you use a service that charges fees. You need to pre-arrange this with your course instructor and the VA benefit Certifying Official at your school. This benefit (Tutorial Assistance) is limited (not to exceed $100/month, and capped at $1200 lifetime total).
Minnesota's Global Military Learning Network (GMLN)
No-cost college prep refresher courses
Free, online, on-demand refresher courses in: Algebra, Calculus, Engineering Physics, English Composition, General Chemistry, or Pre-Calculus to prepare you for college-level coursework.
This service is available to any veteran or current military service member (includes National Guard and Reservists).
Optional success coach support
Military members as well as their spouses and eligible dependent children can optionally connect at any time to a dedicated success coach for guidance and assistance.
University Studies for Student Veterans Online Course
This excellent and free online, on-demand course from Columbia University's Center for Veteran Transition and Integration teaches student veterans the skills and techniques needed to be successful in the college environment. Since its launch, this course has helped thousands of active duty and transitioning service members and veterans succeed in the college classroom.
Think of this course as Basic Training for College! Students will learn foundational college success skills (good notetaking, time management, reading comprehension of large amounts of technical material, how to study, etc.), which will be useful no matter what their major or what school they attend.
The full course
There are 6 modules in the full course, each module is designed to take approximately 3 – 4 hours to complete.
Orient yourself to the norms and expectations of the college classroom, and learn proven strategies to ease your transition, to help you achieve your academic goals, and to allow you to make the most of your college education.
Topic specific video library
Instead of enrolling in the full course, explore the video library covering how to approach college as a military veteran.
Learn new skills and adapt your military experience in learning to this new environment.
Each topic has a companion “veteran voices” video where an actual student veteran gives a brief testimonial about the application of that skill or concept in their own studies.
Customizable to you: free self-paced learning plans
In each of these systems, take a free online diagnostic test of your Math and/or English skills, and the system auto-generates a custom lesson plan for you to follow based on your results.
Accuplacer (college placement test) Preparation
Many colleges and universities in North Dakota and elsewhere will require applicants to take the "Accuplacer" (or similar) test to measure their skills in mathematics, reading, and English. Results are used to place students into the starting course that best matches their skill levels.
When Accuplacer results show that someone is not quite ready for college-level math or English courses, the school might place that student into a developmental or remedial course to catch them up. These courses are normally not for college credit and so don’t count towards your degree, but are required before the student can enroll in a “for credit” course that does count. Those remedial courses aren't free, so not only do they delay your degree completion, but they also use up your financial resources.
By refreshing and strengthening your math and English skills ahead of time, you can get started right away on your degree requirements and hopefully graduate sooner!
Online Study Apps
Access and study on your schedule from your phone, computer, or tablet. Includes exercises and practice tests similar to what you'll see on the actual placement test with the correct solutions and explanations provided.
Free sample question packets from The College Board
Free practice question packets for all Accuplacer test modules are available to download:
Basic Arithmetic
Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics
Reading
Writing
Advanced Algebra and Functions (This is a separate, stand-alone test only given to students that will need Calculus. It’s not part of the normal Accuplacer assessment. It tests advanced college-level math concepts).
On-demand Learning by Subject
Search these lesson libraries for helpful videos on major subjects.
Online Tutoring Systems
Get help from professional tutors in major subjects like math, science, social studies, English, or writing.
Tutor.com - Military
4,000+ rigorously vetted tutors are available in over 150 subjects (including bilingual Spanish offerings) in math, science, grammar, social studies, foreign languages, nursing/allied health subjects, writing, and general study skills.
Eligible military families can access these tutoring services 24/7 for free (a service of the Department of Defense Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Program).