Military children generally move six to nine times from kindergarten through 12th grade. Many children make multiple moves during the high school years alone, some even during their senior year. Students and parents face changes in academic standards, courses, access to programs and graduation requirements. Programs for children with special needs, and the transfer and acceptance of records, vary greatly from state to state and even school to school. These frustrations, along with giving up friends and associates with whom a rapport has been established, cause further anxiety. There are various organizations and agencies that can assist both parents and students with the unique education challenges facing military families.
Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Child Education Coalition is a nonprofit, worldwide organization that identifies the challenges facing the highly mobile military child, increases awareness of these challenges in military and educational communities, and initiates and implements programs to meet the challenges. MCEC's goal is to level the educational playing field for military children wherever they are located around the world and to serve as a model for all highly mobile children.
Home School Legal Defense Association
The Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Their website offers an array of information to those seeking information about home schooling practices. It also provides a link to individual state's home schooling guidelines; a useful tool for relocating Airmen.
Educational Resources
The Department of Education provides important information and resources regarding the federal and state educational guidelines of the 50 individual states.
College-Bound Students
Contains information on the importance of attaining higher education, as well as provides useful resources to parents and students.
College Directory
A useful directory of Colleges and Universities located throughout the United States.
Federal Student Aid
Those seeking federal financial aid for college are required to complete a FAFSA form. This website provides parents and students with the information needed to successfully apply for financial aid.
Scholarships
A resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of aid available through the department's federal student aid office.
College and Beyond
Online source for graduate school information including a directory with comprehensive program listings categorized by curriculum and subdivided by geography.
Military Impacted Schools Association
The Military Impacted Schools Association is a national organization or school superintendents. Their mission is to serve school districts with a high concentration of military children.
Military State Interstate Compact Commission
The goal of the compact is to replace the widely varying policies affecting transitioning military students. The compact leverages consistency and uses the comprehensive approach that provides consistent policy in every school district in every state that chooses to join. The compact addresses key educational transition issue encountered by military families including enrollment, placement, attendance and graduation. Children of active-duty members of the uniformed services, National Guard and Reserve on active duty orders and members or veterans who are medically discharged or retired for one year for assistance under the compact.