One way to help finance your college education is by joining the military. Here you can acquire skills that can be useful for many jobs particularly in the private sector. First you need to attend a military college or join the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and apply in the Credit and Tuition Support Services of the military.
For people who would want to become an officer in the military, you can start this path by enrolling into colleges or universities with military affiliations. Though there are some colleges and universities who don’t have military affiliations, these schools can also be in partnership with the military that provides students with opportunities to earn a skill in certain areas of expertise that are recognized by the military. The advantage of going to military colleges is that they are very well respected and teaches more than just theories and academics. Different military schools have the same military code of conduct that applies to their student such as learn duty, honor, morality and discipline. This is the cornerstone of the foundation that makes the military proud.
Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics. It is being offered in all military branches such as Navy, Air force, Army and in the Marine Corps. Each of the U.S. Armed Forces offers competitive, merit-based scholarships to ROTC college students, often covering full tuition for college in exchange for extended periods of active military service. These scholarships may come in four, three, two and even one year scholarships that include tuition fees, free text books, miscellaneous fees, and a monthly allowance. Students are also required to wear military uniform once a week during training.
Tuition Support Programs
The military has several educational support programs these include; tuition assistance, the Montgomery G.I. Bill, and other educational initiatives. Tuition assistance guidelines, application procedures and the policies for determining eligibility vary between the different branches of the military. It is offered to full time duty members in the military. A student can receive an amount of $250 per credit taken each semester or a total of $4,500 each year. In return for the commitment to serve full time duty, the GI bill pays $ 36,000 for the tuition fee. The Army College Fund (ACF) is an enlistment benefit that adds to the Montgomery G.I. Bill, or the new GI Bill of the 21st Century. One cannot have the ACF without participating in one of these two GI Bill programs, as the two programs run hand-in-hand. The ACF adds to the monthly education benefits payments made by these two programs. The College Loan Repayment Program is an enlistment incentive. Like other enlistment incentives authorized by Congress, each of the services are free whether or not to offer the program, as they see fit in order to meet their established recruiting goals. All these loans from different branches will be repaid by the military.
Credit Programs
Your military service has likely earned you college credit. Many schools and colleges award military students credit towards a degree culled from training, coursework, and occupational specialty. The Military offers three different credits to choose from such as Military School Credits, Service-member Opportunity Colleges (SOC) and Credits Earned Through Testing. Each service branch has their own system for recording your military education and experience credits. For the Military School Credits, members can earn credits during training, for the Service-member Opportunity Colleges, credits can be transferred to the members of the family as sell as with the military if they are relocated in a different location. Another option is the Credits earned through testing, this is an option for earning a college degree. Examinations are also being offered by the Local Base Education Centers such as CLEP examinations, DSST subject series, or Regents examinations, if all these exams are passed by the students; then credits will be awarded accordingly.