Im about to go into the Army, i wanna get into the medical field. Im tired of using student loans to further my education, and one of the reasons i wanna go in the Army, is the GI bill, they will pay for your education, ive also heard that they will repay your government student loans over time.
MY question is this, i heard and have some great concerns that everyone tells me that while on active duty you will NEVEr have time to goto college, or take classes. Has anyone bee in the miltary and attended college, or tried, how did it work? WIll i have time. Whats the point of going into the army to help with education, if you never have time. Any advice would be appreciated. thank you. HAs anyone had there student loans repaid?
2007-11-17 08:20:22 · 10 answers · asked by horshack4200 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I was in the Army for 20 years. They paid for my Bachelor's degree (although ti took me MANY years to get it since I was working full-time) and are now paying for my Masters.
Tuition assistance is the way to go. Online classes are also a very smart choice, since you can do them while deployed (if you chose the right MOS -- no infantry!). You can also take CLEP tests at no cost while on active duty.
I have had several co-workers who joined to have college loans repaid. My boyfriend actually went to medical school on the Army's money.
It's a not a quick solution, and there are obligations, but it works.
2007-11-18 13:12:14 · answer #1 · answered by kelannde 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whoever told you that you won't have time is severely misinformed, or simply doesn't want you to join the Army. You will have time to earn a degree, with 100% tuition assistance. It won't be easy, but few things worth doing are. You'll have to decide if you'd rather party or study. Some people actually earn a bachelor's degree from scratch during a four year enlistment. I have no idea how, but it's possible.
Conservatively speaking, you'll have time to take classes as long as you make the right decisions regarding such. The Army will also pay federally insured student loans up to 65k, but if you go that route, you will be ineligible for the GI Bill and the Army College Fund.
2007-11-17 08:36:14 · answer #2 · answered by DOOM 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
First, whatever the recruiter tells you about having college loans paid off should be written in your contract to ensure that you receive the money to repay those student loans.
Second, depending on your MOS and where assigned college can be easy or difficult. Being a medic in a line company will keep you very busy where you probably wont get much time for school at all. On the flipside, being a medic within a Division, you should have plenty of time for school. Granted the medical career field is broken down into several jobs, it really boils down to where your assigned and Ops tempo. Even in homestation, there are plenty of exercises, TDYs, work to keep you busy.
The biggest pitfall I have scene is people who are in the middle of a semester and suddenly have to go TDY for 2-3 weeks. It can be challenging. Everyone I know who does school while in the military highly encourges doing it online. If your at homestation or deployed, you can still get it done. Granted your deployed somewhere where you can access the internet.
It is not impossible to go to school and be in the military, it can be done and I've known several who have done it. It isn't easy, you really need to be motivated to go to school after working some pretty long hours. Good luck to you.
2007-11-17 08:37:01 · answer #3 · answered by B. Wags 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am in the Army, and I am currently in college...it is hard, and even harder for certain jobs. I can only take one class a semester right now, and it's on-line. I know some people who take 2 a semester...but i need to have a life too, so that's not for me. You could also look into ROTC...that way you go to college full time, it's all payed for by the military and once you finish you just owe them some time...but you are an officer at that point...which is a much better lifestyle that being enlisted. I wish I had known about that when I was joining.
2007-11-17 09:52:06 · answer #4 · answered by Carolyn H 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Hey horshack I've been in the Army Reserve for 7yrs, I can tell you from the reserve side you have a better chance of finishing college, I need 4 more classes to get my Associates' Degree which I could of got in 2 yrs, but because of deployments it hasn't been easy. Although online classes were available in Iraq. As far as the active side I can tell you, it is not impossible, but unlikely, you could find time to go to school. Due to field training and annual physical fittness test.
2007-11-17 08:35:25 · answer #5 · answered by James the Just 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My son was in the army for 9 years, he couldnt take many classes while he was on active duty. He said he needed sleep. His mind was tired. The local college where he was stationed was about 15 miles away. With no transportation except public, it was difficult. However once he was in the National Guard. It was much easier. He got his A.A. The army paid for it.
2007-11-17 10:02:28 · answer #6 · answered by glori 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To whoever said you can't get both the G.I. Bill and the Loan repayment...
If I remember correctly from when I joined, you could. I didn't have any loans at the time, so I didn't sign up for it. But I do remember my recruiter saying I could have both. And before you go off and say he was lying, he's not that type of recruiter. He's a pretty cool guy and I'm still in contact with him.
2007-11-17 08:51:59 · answer #7 · answered by Dayna C 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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You will have colleges on post that you can attend. I know that Troy (Alabama) has branches on a number of military posts throughout the nation, not just Alabama.
2016-04-04 01:51:21 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-11-02 10:52:32 · answer #9 · answered by Elvia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"They" are correct.. you won't have the time... all you will get is some college paid for AFTER you leave the service.
2007-11-17 08:28:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋