The G.I. Bill has had defeciencies in the past, but the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill has recently kicked in and is a huge improvement over previous versions of the G.I. Bill, especially for reservists. Depending on active duty time served, the G.I. Bill will pay up to 100% in state tuition, $1000 stipend for books and supplies, and monthly basic housing allowance (the national average is about $1300). The 36 month limit is true, but that’s good for a four year degree (nine months a year).

I’ll break my circumstance down so you can see the benefits for someone who served part time (knowing that full time benefits are even better). I was enlisted in the reserves for 9 years, I served two deployments, good for about 28 months of active duty time. The classes I took while enlisted were paid for by Tuition Assistance. This was totally seperate from G. I. Bill. Somehow I had the forsight not to activate the G. I. Bill until I was separated from the military. Between credits earned for military training and the courses I took with TA, I have completed about 40 credit hours towards a degree. I am kicking myself for not taking more advantage of TA, but I could have done worse, I suppose. Granted, fitting school in around deployments and training is tough, but I know of many people who obtained their degree totally on the TA’s dime, and at schools like Kansas U and Kansas State. Now that I am done with my service, I am enrolled fulltime in online coursework. The time I did serve earned me 80% percent of tuition paid through Post 9/11 GI Bill (the remaining 20% is picked up by my employer via tuition reimbursement), this also includes $800 of yearly stipend, and because my coursework is 100% online I get half of the national average for basic housing allowance which comes out to $670 a month. If I had one class at a brick and mortar school, I would be eligible for full housing allowance. The full housing allowance rate where I reside wouldn’t be much more than the $670, so the extra hassle is not worth it to me (I work full time, family, etc). However, someone living in Laguna Hills, CA could be eligible for $1700 dollars a month in housing allowance alone! What a great oppurtunity.

So, even at 80%, G.I. Bill is essentially paying for all of college. Now, someone could sock away the stipends and housing allowance and use that money to pursue further education once the G.I. Bill runs out. I will use my housing allowance money to pay off my wife’s student loans. So, basically my military service paid for my schooling and will pay for the majority of my wife’s schooling as well. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. Not to mention the professional training and experience I gained in the military was invaluable to me in the private sector.

I know this is a lengthy post, but I hope I’ve convinced you that the military is a great way to pay for college and learn how to apply those skills as well. There are positives and negatives to joining the military just as there are pros and cons to any career choice. However, I hope you continue to encourage people to explore this oppurtunity if it fits their needs.

The obvious drawback to the GI Bill option is that…well, you could get killed. Yes, it’s a small chance. But is going to college worth that?

(I realize this entry is old but people may still be looking at it.)

Intelligence is a terrible thing to sacrifice. Don’t blame “going to college” for the student loan crisis. Blame our government for being irresponsible with its budget and funds and for screwing the middle class as much as possible. It’s not the middle and lower classes benefiting from the FAFSA, nor the very poor (they just aren’t going to college period) it’s those who can afford an accountant or other financial advisor who knows how to manipulate the system. Blame colleges for being too greedy and for putting all of their basketball and football stars on full ride scholarships, paying for their housing and giving them cars, while telling struggling students “Sorry, there’s nothing we can do for you.” There needs to be more responsibility taken by Universities and the government. For instance, Northwestern has taken a novel approach in telling its students that it will no longer allow them to borrow more than (I believe) 20,000 dollars in student loans – beyond that, they will fill in the tuition gaps in order to prevent their students from going too far into debt. Plenty of colleges can do this, they just don’t want to.

Luckily for them, there are a few programs offered by the local colleges that will give them almost a free ride through school. They both have seen me and my husband struggle with the debt and the stigma attached.

When we went to college we were told by supposed people in the know that the loans were the best way, or go into the military. I only started to heard about other solutions when I was a Junior.

So basically we are stuck with a huge debt, nothing to show for it. (it wouldn’t hurt so bad if the career I am in doesn’t require a college degree to do.) It would be easy to say it was all our fault. But too many colleges during my college years were pushing loans like they were drugs. There are many people in my situation. The problem is no one that can change the system wants to.