National Guard will pay 100% tuition, is it really worth it?

Question

A speaker came to our school and said if we do 16 weeks of training (paid) and one weekend a month and two weeks a year (paid) then we get free tuition. So I ask do you think its worth it? Anyone doing the same thing?

Oh and also Ill say that im in delaware and the speaker said shes been in the national guard for 15 years and has never been deployed.

Oh and also Ill say that im in delaware and the speaker said shes been in the national guard for 15 years and has never been deployed. Its specifically for the finance field, not actually fighting.

And yes she did stress the fact that we could be deployed.

Answer 1

They will pay your tuition through tuition assistance, but it is only available *while serving on duty.* Which means that if you get called up and you're taking classes, they will pull you out to deploy you. The reserves are more likely to be deployed before the national guard (at least overseas anyways.) With the way things are right now, it's doubtful you would get to finish anything completely.

You could qualify for the GI Bill, if you pay into it first. But the payments are lower for the reserves and the guard than active duty. The GI Bill allows for you to recieve payments every month that you are enrolled in school, up to, usually, 36 months.

What you should do, because it seems your real question is "How do I pay for college?" is to check the tuition rates of your school of choice. Then fill out a FAFSA:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

This will tell you your EFC, expected family contribution, or how much money you and your family are expected to put towards your tuition. Your information is automatically sent to the colleges you put on the form. You could be elligible for the federal pell grant, which is (up to) $4050 a year and some state grants, in which they will pay right into your tuition after you sign up for classes.

If the tuition at the college you chose is too high, consider attending a community college for 2 years and then transferring to the college you want. It is so much cheaper- I wish my high school would have at least mentioned this option.

Answer 2

The true answer lies in yourself. Some State National Guards will pay 100% tuition at State funded universities while others only pay for some tuition. I am not sure on what Delaware does so I will have to yield to that recruiter. After you have completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, you are subject to being deployed. This means that you could end up in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia or anywhere else in the world to include being deployed in the United States. You have to decide what YOU want to do. The military can be a very rewarding career. It is what you make of it. I enlisted on Active Duty for 3 years and reenlisted for another 3 years each time til I had 20 years in and I loved every minute of it. I had a chance to travel and see the world. Good Luck in your decision though.

Answer 3

Everyone I have spoken with says that it is totally worth it. You have to weigh the risks and benefits in your own life though. Most people I know that are in have never gone over seas. A few have, and they have been shot at, and in serious situations. They still don't have a problem being in the National Guard, but you have to think about what you are willing to do, think about the worst case scenario, and if you are okay with that, then you should do it. You may be away from home for a while as well, so you need to make sure that you have no serious commitments, such as kids, pets, family members. It really comes down to you and your lifestyle. The benefits are endless and you will have a lot more than school paid for!

Answer 4

Absolutely NOT worth it (at least not these days)!!!!!

Many people do it, but it's a mistake.

Reasons:

1. You are then obliged to serve as a gun meat wherever they want to send you. You will be made to go serve for the "good of the mothrland", which actually is serving a handful of people, in a role of disposable meat, in case they need their financial conflicts resolved in a form of making some other country slave for US (read: "slave for them").
Proof? well, ask yourself: If you were a congressman or a senator that owns a huge share of oil company doing work in a foreign country .... and if you had the power of a senator ... would you not care about your business? would you not try to use your power to benefit your own business (hence your own pocket)?
Serving "your country" is what they shout and it may sound good and patriotic to us, but if you think that a full tank of an american 12 cylinder fuel drinker may have been possible forthe cost of another life out there, who simply wanted to live free, you will hesitate. Forgive the complicated answer.

2. University education does not give you much knowledge. It does open some doors for employment, but you will not really enjoy the 4 or however many years you think of going. All the U education proves to potential employers these days is that you are submissive enough to sit and do the ton of work that you have to do for classes. Keep in mind: most of what you are made to do for classes you will never gain much fron anyway. The more classes you take, the more money the school makes (regardless of who pays for it).

If you really like some subject, find a research project at a U that works on the topic and try to get an RA position (which will pay the tution as well).

I gave reasons just in a nutshell ...


Here is some input from a friend of mine also:

that sounds pretty good, i would also point out that the G.I. bill DOES NOT cover tuition, they give you SOME money but not enough to go to any school full time and have it covered, I have friends who signed up for the army just for that purpose and are finding out that it is impossible to go to school with the small amount of money they give you. Also, there are many other grant & scholarship opportunities out there, they should go to their local job center/employment center and ask to speak to someone regarding state grants for education. also they can apply for the FAFSA which will loook at their income and then give them free grant money to put towards school based on their income bracket.

Good luck and let me know if you'd like me to clarify something.

And when you make your decision, think about sharing it with friends, who also have that decision to make.

Regards!

Answer 5

If i thought we were in a worthy conflict i would say yes , but it may cost you your life ,but i'm not convinced that this Iraq is a worthy conflict ( war )we got Saddam and his two sons,we havent found any weapons of mass destruction,we have killed more Iraqi's than Saddam, the country is in a civil war and hardely anyone there wants us there so they can continue their prepetual fights that been going on for thousands of years..... There is a proverb in the old testament book of Proverbs (parapharseing it ) something about intervening when 2 dogs are in a fight and you'll get biten ,i thought Bush knew what the bible taught so i voted for him and i feel i made a bad choice but i did vote even if it was for the wrong person, but i cant accept this abortation crap either,you will have to decide if you make it through it all it will be worth it to get your education,but if you dont i feel your life would have been wasted for others ( Iraqi's and rich ) who could care less about you... these are my opions and i in no way am an authority on all the details of this mess,but i truly think we should count our losses come home and let those people fight it out but ,Iran will probably step in after we have soften them up, and overrun the entire region so you will have to decide///I'm 61 yrs old but i'm still not too old to fight and when it come to my country i'd fight to the death .. I truly love this country and wish all countries could have the same system but there are too many idiots in power for vain glory at wahtever cost to others/// what a waste of resources for selfish reasons ... May God bless your decision///

Answer 6

You need more info, did he tell you, your unit could get
called up and sent to Iraq. Nothing wrong with fighting
for your country, but she should give you all the facts.
Why not join a regular service you will not only get a
college education, but while on active duty they pay
90 pct of your college courses. Take as many as
possible while on active duty, then when your time is
up, you could go for your bach/masters/ 30 days
leave a year.

Get more information before you jump. Visit the other
services and take the asvab. The better you do, the
more pull you have.

Good luck

Answer 7

In order to make a logical conclusion you need to check into the school of your choice and find out how much it is going to cost you to do this on your own. Then weigh them both out. Personally I think it is worth it. What you have to decide is are you willing to deploy. You will be part of the Military and that is part of the bargain. This is not a giveaway program. You will earn it.

Answer 8

If you're man or woman enough to go through the training, go for it. The experience of accomplishing something you thought was not possible is great...

of course, you could go work at a fast food place and take 4 years to get your assoc. degree...

that, or depend on mommy and daddy for support.

How much is your education worth to you? Enough to go out and earn it, or do you want it to be handed to you?

The guard will give you an experience you will never forget!

Answer 9

You will be sent to war. The guard does not always stay stateside! I had some college peers actually taken from their classes to Iraq, who were in the guard. If you live, and are not forever scarred by the images you see, then the free tuition is worth it since it will give you the opportunity to better yourself. The caveat is that you must survive and not get shell shocked.

Answer 10

i am also thinking of joining the army national guard or army reserve and i plan do to physcial therapy. if you join army national guard and specialize in combat then MOST likely you will be deployed sooner than maybe even some reservists training in the same field. it all really depends on your MOS... but you better talk to someone actually in the national guard now instead of me...