Thinking about heading back to school remotely? A new ranking highlights some top options for veterans ready to learn … and a MOAA expert has some tips on maximizing your service-earned benefits.

The University of Florida took first in the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans rankings put out last month by U.S. News and World Report, a publication famous for its annual top-schools list. Florida also took top honors in the overall online rankings.

The University of North Carolina-Charlotte claimed second on the bachelor’s best-for-vets list, followed by Arizona State, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The survey also ranked masters programs for veterans in a variety of categories, including:

• Master of Business Administration: Indiana University-Bloomington (Kelly)
• Business: Texas A&M University-College Station (Mays)
• Criminal Justice: University of New Haven (Conn.)
• Education: University of Kansas
• Engineering: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Grainger)
• Information Technology: Johns Hopkins University (Whiting) (Md.)
• Nursing: University of Connecticut (Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing)

Schools had to rank in the top half of the overall online rankings to appear on the best-for-veterans list, had to qualify for the GI bill, and had to either participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program or charge in-state tuition that can be covered by all applicants (in and out of state) using GI bill benefits.

[RELATED: Make the Most of Your GI Bill Benefits]

While virtual schooling provides greater flexibility and global options, veterans should consider a hybrid learning setup if at all possible, according to Lila Quintiliani, MOAA’s program director, of financial and benefits education/counseling.

“Your Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover tuition and fees for virtual classes the same as in-person ones, but housing is a different story,” Quintiliani said. “Eligible full-time students in all-virtual programs receive 50% of the national average housing allowance, but if you take even one class in person, you’d receive 100% of the standard allowance.”

That standard allowance varies by ZIP code and is based on the Pentagon’s Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents.

[FROM VA.GOV: Post-9/11 GI Bill Rates]

More distance-learning tips from Quintiliani:

• Do your research: The VA’s GI Bill Comparison Tool is a good place to check on both virtual and in-person programs. Committed to an online approach? You can narrow your search to correspondence schools.
  
  
• Know your benefit: “A virtual degree may be less costly than a graduate degree or an in-person degree you or a family member could pursue later, so it may not be the best use of your benefit,” Quintiliani said. “Be sure to read up on transfer rules.”
  
  
• Don’t believe the hype: Veterans often receive solicitations from for-profit online schools that may prove too good to be true. While MOAA has successfully worked to protect federal policy designed to limit these deceptive practices, not every offer is on the level. “Not all online programs are equal,” Quintiliani said. “If you’re looking at an option that isn’t attached to an established, accredited, brick-and-mortar institution, look long and hard.”