Why is the Navy so Misleading on their website?

Question

http://www.navy.com/benefits/education/pursuedegree/

"Tuition Assistance: Pays for up to 100 percent of the tuition for courses taken by Sailors on their own time (off-duty) at accredited institutions."

This is what the Navy Tuition Website says..
https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/tuition/ta2.html

"All Navy Tuition Assistance pays up-front the tuition and fees charged by educational institutions for course enrollments. Navy TA pays 100% of tuition costs for courses applicable to the completion of a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. For other education levels, there is a fiscal year credit limit of 16 Semester Hours, 24 Quarter Hours, 240 Clock Hours or 24 CEUs per individual. (Waiver requests cannot exceed the FY $4500 DoD program limit.)

Payment for tuition and fees will not exceed the following caps:
$250.00 per semester hour
$166.67 per quarter hour
$16.67 per clock hour
$166.67 per Continuing Education Unit (CEU)"

At 16 units per year, it will take four years to complete an assoiciates degree. If you are on shore duty, trying to complete your degree in a three year tour, much of it will come out of the sailor's own pocket.

Answer 1

My husband has been in the navy for 8 years and is taking college classes right now with Embry Riddle. There are lots of college options and he hasn't even dipped into his GI Bill. He is getting Navy Tuition Assistance right now for his classes and books. Also, while deployed he can take college classes for free on the ship. They also have training and certificate programs they offer with online training. My husband just recieved his fiber optics certification, as well as going to the Six Sigma training that once complete he can get hired with major companies always looking for people who are trained in Six Sigma. His experiance as an aircraft mechanic and engine mechanic and the certification and training that he has gotten from just being in the navy is also a perk. We are planning to leave active duty and he is looking at the reserves so he can make more money. He can start a job doing the same thing he does now with any airline company and as a private contractor for the goverment starting at $70k a year. There is also command tuition, different commands will pay for college and use incentives if their sailors will take college courses. Also, depending on the state they will also sponsor paying college tuition in full for active military.

Answer 2

As you have figured out from what you have read and what you have copied and pasted in your question, the military WILL pay for your college. It will be just absolutely restricted as to how much and when.

The military is NOT paying you to join to get a college degree and leave them and find a better job. It is an INCENTIVE to join.

I was in the Coast Guard for 8 years and it would have been a waste of time to try to get a degree in that amount of time. I found that the solution was to go with the Montgomery GI Bill option, get out and USE IT. Even though I had $36,000 for school it was only $1000/month and that was ONLY if you were in school FULL TIME. There is a catch to everything and you just have to use it to your best advantage and realize that you are not going to get a degree in any sort of timely fashion by being in the military. It is MORE than a FULL TIME job! Once again, they want you to stay 20+ years and retire..........not take their money and run.

Answer 3

the 16 semester hours per year allows to to take college without tapping into the $37,000 from the mgib. Plus that doesn't count clep tests which are also covered. You also get college credit for your navy training. I still don't see how what you quoted is misleading. It seems pretty straight forward to me. You can start using the mgib after your 2 year point in the navy. If you try you can get a BS in 5 years in the navy, which is better than the national average at college (better than people whose sole purpose is to take college classes, OH NO, say it isn't so.)

Answer 4

It must be hard to commute from ship to shore every day, but I can just see it now. Shoot off some cruise missles, blow up some buildings and the people in them, shock and awe style, during the day, then study humanities and health care part time in the evenings. Sounds great.

Answer 5

That's the idea behind the GI bill--college assistance... and there's nothing misleading about any of that information.

Answer 6

Try the Marines

Answer 7

Do you know what assistance means?