Categories: Education

Military Connection: How to Pay for College: By Debbie Gregory

In today’s tight employment market, job seekers need to do all that they can to get a leg up on the competition. It used to be that getting a two or four year college degree would give most candidates the edge they needed to land sustainable employment. But with the ever-rising tuition costs at colleges around the country, more and more students are going into debt, trying to pay for their education through student loans.

But what many college students may not realize is that there is a way to earn their degrees, even advanced degrees, while getting paid, and not accumulating tens of thousands of dollars of debt in student loans.

Enlistment into the U.S. armed forces is definitely an option worth considering for any American who isn’t sure how they’re going to afford college tuition. It is also a great way to earn real-world training and experience in a career field. And depending on your chosen branch of service and military occupation, military service allows members to see the world, including other areas of the United States and dozens of countries around the world.

Among the educational benefits that can be obtained through military service are the following:

Service members in every branch and occupation receive classroom and on-the-job training in their chosen field.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay 100% of state college tuition, as well as paying a monthly housing allowance, for up to 36 in-session months of schooling at colleges, universities and vocational schools. This benefit is only available after separating from the military.
Tuition Assistance is offered by each branch at their discretion. Active duty members may take classes and earn degrees in their spare time. This benefit is for retaining strong military leaders, and is not intended to be used as a head start on a civilian education.
There are a number of programs offered by each individual branch that allows members to enlist in order to complete their degrees, in exchange for a commitment to serve as a commissioned officer in that branch, once their degree is earned.
There are a multitude of scholarships provided by private organizations and government agencies that are only available to service members, Veterans and their family members.

However enlistment in the military is not for the faint of heart, the uneducated, or those who lack discipline. Only the best and the brightest will qualify for service. That is why each branch of the military has height/weight standards, education requirements, minimums on aptitude tests, and restrictions against criminal records, certain tattoos & piercings and other disqualifiers.

For more information about military enlistment and education benefits earned through military service, please follow the links for each branch of the military from our home page at www.MilitaryConnection.com and be sure to put some thought into YOUR future.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard & Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.