by our College Data Analytics TeamAs someone with prior military experience, it's a good idea to check how well the school services veterans before signing those admission papers. That's why we've put together this report that gives you the facts about Santa Monica College veteran students. If you're looking for information related to military tuition assistance such as the GI Bill® or Yellow Ribbon Program, go to the following page: Santa Monica College GI Bill® Information
Info in This Veterans Report on SMC:
Santa Monica College was not included in this year's [Best Schools for Veterans ranking[(/rankings/veterans). This could be due to a number of reasons, including insufficent data.
Colleges with a large veteran population are better equipped to support and accommodate those who have had military experience.
According to the VA, there are 340 GI Bill® students at SMC. The school has a total enrollment of 25,948 students. This means that around 1.31% of students are using the GI Bill® to help them afford their education. Putting that into perspective, the Student Veterans of America estimates that about three-four percent of all college students in America are veterans.
Note, this figure includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill®, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment). This does not include active-duty military personnel who are attending the college via Tuition Assistance. Therefore, the potential total military population could be larger than this.
Santa Monica College participates in the following federal programs for vets.
| Federal Program | Participation |
|---|---|
| Principles of Excellence | Yes |
| Vet Success on Campus (VSOC) | Yes |
| Eight Keys | Yes |
What does this mean to me? Below you can view the specific commitments this school has made by participating in individual programs.
| Career and Vocational Support |
|---|
| Educational and Vocational Assessments and Counseling |
| Accommodate Military Service Members and Reservists absent due to service requirements. |
| Align institutional refund policies with those under Title IV, which governs the administration of federal student financial aid programs. |
| Benefits Support |
|---|
| Willingness to accommodate a full-time VA employee. |
| Assistance to Veterans applying for other VA benefits. |
| Community and on-campus outreach. |
| Educational and Vocational Assessments and Counseling. |
| Adjustment counseling to resolve problems that interfere with completion of education programs and entrance into employment. |
| Referrals for more intensive health services, including mental health treatment through VHA Medical Centers, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, or Vet Centers. |
| Referrals to community organizations as needed. |
| Ensure accreditation of all new programs prior to enrolling students. |
| Will not use fraudulent or aggressive recruiting techniques and misrepresentations. |
| Provide students with a personalized form covering the total cost of an education program. |
| Counseling Support |
|---|
| Referrals for more intensive health services, including mental health treatment through VHA Medical Centers, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, or Vet Centers. |
| Adjustment counseling to resolve problems that interfere with completion of education programs and entrance into employment. |
| Designate a point of contact to provide academic and financial advice. |
| Provide educational plans for all military and veteran education beneficiaries. |
| Spouse and Dependents Support |
|---|
| Survivors and Dependents Assistance. |
| Communication with student veterans and their dependents to address questions regarding VA education benefits, health services, and general VA benefits. |
Santa Monica College does have a student veterans group.
SMC may consider your military experience and give college credit. Talk with your admissions counselor to learn more.
There have been no complaints registered to the VA for this college.
Notes and References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
**GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibil.