What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?

My son is in high school and is interested in the military AND college. I've heard of getting a college degree then joining and I've heard of joining with the intention of them paying for college. But I don't really know what to tell him that would be true.



Can anyone help me with some answers?What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?I recently got out of the Air Force so I'll give you the information that I know. You're correct that there are a number of ways of going about entering the military and obtaining a degree.



If your son wants to pursue his degree now then he should look into a ROTC program. This program allows the individual to go to school on the militarys dollar, while having specific requirements of them during the four year process. Its sort of a premilitary training experience. He will be required to keep up with physical requirements, at the school I go to now one day a week they wear their dress uniform to class and he will be required to attend specific functions. When he has completed his degree he will then owe the military 4-6 years of his time but he will be an Officer in the armed forces rather than enlisted personnel. Biggest benefit here...once hes finished school he'll be paid as an Officer.



Another option is to enlist and sign up the Montgomery GI Bill, also referred to as MGIB or just GI Bill. He can enlist for 4-6 years and while at basic training he can choose to sign up for the GI Bill. During the first year of his enlistment $100 a month will be automatically withdrawn from his paycheck and put into an education fund, at the end of his enlistment he can then go to school using the money from this fund. I know that $1200 doesn't sound like much, and it isn't, but the return is fabulous. Those who have signed up and contributed to the MGIB currently have around $40,000 to go to school with. You can go to almost any college or trade school. Once he is accepted to the Univ. he will need to go to the VA office, usually right next to the financial aid office, and fill out some paperwork. When all is said and done he will receive a monthly stipend of $1075 in order to pay for his schooling or living expenses. Most schools will extend the due date for their tuition and fees knowing that the GI Bill pays in the rear so that he will have the entire semester to pay the school what its owed. Keep in mind that while your son is enlisted he can also take classes, online or at the local college, and the service will pay for 100% tuition up to appx $4500 a year. If he has signed up for the GI Bill he can then 'top off' meaning he can tap into his GI Bill money to pay for anything above and beyond the $4500 a year. Also, your son will only have one opportunity to sign up for the GI Bill. If he chooses not to hes out the $40000 to go to school. There is no changing of the mind, no I meant to, nothing, he has to sign up for it while in basic training or hes out.



The last option that I can think of is to join the Guard or Reserves. This is something that I'm not very familiar with but my understanding is that they allow you to use GI Bill money without having you pay into it. I'm not sure how you pay this back or if you will then owe the military time but it is something that the two of you can look into together.



Good luck to you and your son!What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?
I suggest going to college first then join the military if he still wants to. If your kid is responsible enough he should go to college. Military is very demanding job and it requires a lot of maturity, discipline and patience. If your kid doesn't possess these traits then he will have a hard time serving in the military. If he does join the military will instill these values. Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?I'm going to chime in on this one too.

I am currently Active Duty Navy. A lot of the answers above are correct, MGIB, ROTC. What they fail to mention is that Yes it is possible to get a degree while in the military. Almost all military commanders highly encourage all troops to get their degree. The military is becoming smarter and more technially advanced.



I've been active for 18 years now, and do have my Associate Arts Business Admin, and currently starting my Bachelor Science Criminal Justice. The program I'm using to pay for my college is Tuition Assistance. Tuition assistance pays 100% of college tuition for the military member. Although there are some restriction as the how much is paid, and how many classes can be taken, it is possible to get college paid for. A service member can even use the MGIB while on active duty to cover what TA doesn't cover.



Every base will have college office that will help guide the member to which programs are best. They also will have representatives from different local colleges and universities. These reps can give the member an idea of what his experience and training will get him in going after a degree. A large amount of military trainging and courses can be converted into college credit, although not all can be used to get the degree, a good number will be used.



Since I am Navy I am including links to the Navy college programs, as well as the MGIB info. Hope this helps you out. What ever you and your son decide, good luck.
In addition to more conventional means (service academies, ROTC and the GI Bill), he could (as someone has already said) enlist and obtain his degree while on active duty. This can be done in any number of ways - night school, for one, and there are lots of accredited colleges and universities that offer degrees largely (or even completely) through correspondence courses. It might take longer, and he'll have to be very careful switching between institutions (credits don't always transfer), but it can be done.



In rare cases, an outstanding enlisted man/woman can be "earmarked" for promotion into the officer corps, in which case the service would pay for him to go to college - while he was on active duty. However, there are no guarantees that your son will be selected for such a program, no matter what nonsense the recruiters might be telling him.



He also could go to college on his own (before signing up or after a term of enlisted service), and apply for a direct commission after graduation. This is a FAR different from enlisting (with a college degree), and THEN applying for a commission, which again is not guaranteed.What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?Im a junior in high school graduating w/ Core 40 w/ Technical Honors. This year I went through a program at a neighboring school that gave me 15 credits towards an associates degree in Criminal Justice. Im enlisting in the Marnes as an MP and getting the rest of my degree online. So if I go to get a civillian job later on, Ill have both experience and a degree.



He has a few choices...

-Serve his time, use the GI Bill after (What you were talking about w/ the Militayr paying for college after)

-ROTC (Where he trains to be an officer while going through a normal college life and serves a required 4 years after school, more if he wishes)

-Get a degree while in the Military, which would be hard if it was a BA w/ something that involved very specific classes.What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?
I am in the reserves and in college at the same time. Right now I am deployed. You join the military you have a obligation to the country and the US president before your education. Once your deployed there are ways that you can continue with your education. To the person who said your friend went back to college with a missing leg, you have more chance dying on the way to college than in iraq.
Go talk to a recruiter. Just check the phone book they are all over the country. With some situations your son can go to college and then go into the military as an officer. Others do the service first and college later. (btw despite the previous responder many servicemen never see the middle east and are serving state side.

The average amount of civlians that die with or without a war is 155,000 a day. Most of these people die without the media even acknowledging they existed at all in homes and isolated parts of the world.

When I look at all the ways to die I would rather die for a cause, doing what I believed was helping free a nation of tyranny, than for no reason at all. )What's the best way to join the military and still have a college degree?
If your in the US then there is the academy's, Navy, Army or Air-force. Your grades and desires have to be there, but they are great places for education in general (most companies prefer Military school grads due to the strict focused education.). ROTC at the school is another good thing to look at.
Westpoint, The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Norwich University.... a few others...
Dear Sir or Madam,



I am an 8 year Army veteran and I actually did what your son would like to do. It is certainly possible, so let me give you the best advice I possibly can.



First, do not let your son join in a combat arms MOS (military occupational specialty). I myself was MOS 11B, which is light infantry and I decided to go through Airborne and Ranger School, so I guess I took the hard route. :) The reason I say this is because it is hard to go to school at night and be deployed at the same time.



Secondly, depending on your sons interests, the Air Force might actually be the best bet. I have a couple of friends with masters degrees right now...fully paid for by the US Government. He is an engineer that develops tracking systems for smart bombs....this is highly transferrable to the civilian sector and once he separates he can find a job easily. Myself, I had one of two choices. Police Officer or Assassin. LoL.



Lastly, tell him to save as much money as possible and take advantage of the GI Bill ASAP. It's easy to get into a rut and get lazy....he needs to do this immediately upon his eligibility being met.



I hope this helps. Email me if you need anything else. :)



Jim
Depending on his testing scores, he will choose what he wants to do in the military. It is not just people shooting guns, military men include health care workers, social workers, cooks, transportation, etc. The testing scores narrow the scope of what area he can choose, and after basic training, he would go to AIT, which trains him for the field that he chooses. There is a process through which AIT classes can be transferred into college credit. For example, if he is able to be an X-ray tech, just the military training alone will allow him to take the registry examination and get certified to do it in the outside world. In addition, if he wishes, he could get his AIT training transferred into an Associates degree in radiation technology. Other college coursework can be taken while on active duties, and most commanders encourage it. He could take classes online or at night. As an active duty serviceman, he would be eligible for the GI Bill to pay for his college. Good luck to him!
Both are possibilities. I would suggest you guys would benefit by looking into ROTC programs. Depending on the service branch he likes, finding a college that offers the desired ROTC program might be a good fit. The Citadel (South Carolina) and VMI (Virginia) both offer all the ROTC programs, Navy(Marine), Army, and Air Force. ROTC scholarships are available. If he should go the enlistment route, there are fairly generous college funds to be had.



In general, all the services require a BA degree for Officers. ROTC is the best way to get the degree and the commission. The US service academies are excellent, but extremely difficult to get in. They offer free school and all, but only a few applicants get in.
First start with the facts sweety. Right now his chances of joining the military and coming home are slim to be frank with you. Send your baby to college and if he wants to join up later than tell him he can. Right now I have a few friends who joined for college .. yes they are getting their education. But first they had to fight in Iraq one whom came back minus a leg

I will tell my kids stay home I will support you get a part time job apply for every grant there is and dont join the military to scary and unstable right now. even for those who just want to take advantage of the educational facter. It's a judgment call only the two of you can decide. Just keep the blinders off you and your child. peace to you and yours.