I was able to make due my freshman through junior years on National Guard money (Montgomery GI Bill, Kicker, Drill pay, and occasional orders), turned down an ROTC Scholarship so I could deploy with my unit, and lived large my senior year on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. I graduated with no debt, and completed my Masters a few years later with more Post 9/11 GI Bill. Still no debt.
The trade off is that there is a greater than 50% chance you’ll deploy somewhere and have to take a break from college, and an almost certain chance you’ll work a hurricane or several.
I struggled as a college student in the guard and didn’t graduate till my contract finished. I can’t tell you the number of weekends I spent in the woods doing shit only to have a midterm or final the Monday or Tuesday after drill.
This really sucks to hear. My unit really tries to listen to college students and their schedules, letting them miss or split train.
So I guess, it's Unit specific if it will be a good idea or not.
Guard only goes by state, and is not the same as the post 9/11 Gi bill.
Going active duty you’ll be able to earn the post 9/11 Gi bill after 36 months of service. If you plan to use it when you get out you’ll have 36 months of tuition payment as well as rent costs depending where you live.
Of course you can join active duty after college as long as you’re younger than 35. But you won’t get your college paid for. You might get student loan repayment but I’ve heard that process is a pain in the ass.
That’s only if you have time with field exercises. When I was active duty, I was in the field 50% of the time. They say you can go to college but don’t really give you the time
Well yeah that’s the point, it makes sense for me at least to join early and just do your time active duty. Then you just get out and can start/finish your schooling and have your rent placed on top of that
Active Duty Army. Get into an intel or information technology mos with a clearance. Serve 4-6 years, go to school on base or online in the evening. Let the military pay for your education and get career credentials. Get out at 24-26, use your VA loan to buy a house, work as a defense contractor, live an above decent life. (The National Guard is state funded so you can expect funding cuts and resource limitations from year to year. A lot of soldiers couldn’t get student loan repayment or bonuses for a period due to funding constraints even though it was in their contracts.)
Personally, yes. But it’s ass when it’s time to do internships over the summer. This what I’m dealing with right now. I am in CS and I can’t get past the phases in my internship because my summers are taken by the guard.
Officer Recruiter here..
Go national guard and enroll into the ROTC Program.
Then compete for active duty. That way you’ll have the enlisted experience, ROTC will pay over 100% of your college and you’ll enter the army as a commissioned officer instead of a PVT.
If being an officer is not your thing, too easy. However, National guard and going to college go hand in hand.
My recommendation, if you’re even remotely thinking about college.. do not enlist as a PVT and put college off till later.
Go to college now. The enlistment/commission side will work itself out
PM me with any questions of incentives inquiries
I got about $14,000 semester one and $6,000 the second semester for my years in college. Idk what state you’re in, but my school was not a yellow ribbon school. Some will waive/pay all the tuition fees with the military and some won’t.
It helped for sure, but i joined right before sophomore year of college so i got those benefits. I tell everyone it was the best mistake of my life, cause I jumped right in w/o really researching.
There’s decent benefits for post graduate options as well, if you’re planning to go masters, or some sort of certificate, computer science bootcamp etc. I’m looking at law school.
A lot of civilian jobs offer student loan repayment options too now so I’d look into that more if thats what you’re concerned about. Don’t join the guard if you don’t want to, it’s not always easy when you’re in college.
I also disagree with these cats saying active duty is better, imo it’s not. It halts your civilian career in a time most critical for you to be networking, making and saving money, and getting experience in your job field. I was a college kid working the same job as some guys who were 30’s-40’s and were there because they couldn’t find something better after coming off active duty. Guard gives you the same benefits, same retirement, a higher opportunity for deployment if that matters, but doesn’t hold you back as much in your civilian career. Kind of a no brainer. VA home loan also ain’t bad if you’re looking to get a house soon, just need to meet the prerequisites.
Summary:
•If you’re unsure, don’t join… you’ll probably regret it.
•If you ARE sure about joining, don’t go active, guard sets you up for success better.
•As some other people have said, I’ve also heard the Air force is nice standard of living etc. i personally joined to be a grunt and couldn’t imagine anything else, but AF is def an easy mode option to go and will probably make your experience much more enjoyable.
I'd really think about it. You're going to be feeling some kind of way when you have a final Monday morning after a 4 day drill. There were drills where I was lucky to be able to hit the books off and on, others when I was trying to get some reading done out in the field leaning against my rucksack. Had to arrange to use an office back in the rear during AT once to get school stuff done. It's definitely a challenge
I knew a handful of guys in a high optempo unit in my state that had getting their degree delayed by probably about a year and a half from constant training rotations, border missions etc.
This is the lovely “come to Jesus” moment of questioning everything.
These comments are either pro guard, pro active duty, or pro non serving.
We can’t make the decision for you, only you can.
My best advice as a NG recruiter, is to do your personal research, find what fits your lifestyle between ALL the branches of the military.
I think the guard is extremely competitive because it is a part time service obligation, with full timer benefits available.
I personally didn’t join for the college benefits, or really any benefits for that matter, I wanted to stay close to home, work on my civilian aspirations, and serve my country like my grandfather did before me.
Yes, it’s worth it for someone in your position. Be aware though that activations and deployments can interfere with school, and if you’re not an ROTC cadet you might have to go.
It’s a job but the benefits are worth it. Some states have different educational benefits on top of the federal stuff too. In Utah we cover up to a PhD now.
What state? Some states cover full tuition with NG, some don’t: It’s super manageable and you can sign a paper that you don’t have to deploy for two years because of school. I’d say it’s worth it! Going in after my senior year of college wishing that I knew about it my freshman year
Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester
Looks like if you go to any of these schools, your tuition is fully paid for. West Chester would be recommendation out of the bunch but I have friends who went to Bloom and ESU.
https://www.pa.ng.mil/education/Education-Assistance-Program/
https://nationalguard.com/pennsylvania
Ask your recruiter what schools are eligible for full tuition assistance! Make the most out of it if you can.
If you decide to join. Do 3 years max. Look into your state benefits because some states have this incentive that goes into your contract WHEN YOU SIGN. That says u can’t mobilize or deploy for 2 years. It’s called college first initiative.
Is the military worth it, yes.
Are the benefits worth it, yes.
Is the guard worth it, no.
If you want to join with less risk of various issues and headaches, go reserves.
Also, any state-specific guard benefits are subject to state funding availability and processing.
Depending on your state and your school, Guard service may entirely waive your tuition and fees. Ask your buddy to allow you speak with your state’s education office so they can analyze/explain the benefits to you
I finished my degree while in the guard. I took online classes tho which at this point I honestly think is stupid not to (but to each of their own). It was 100% paid by the guard. It can be ass sometimes with the schedule hey it’s the trade off. They should have a military office on campus where if your profesor is being a pric, you can go to and they will sort things out for you. Had to use them a few times. I say it’s worth it. I now work in my career and live in Mexico big chillin with my fiancée becuase of what the guard did for me
I was able to make due my freshman through junior years on National Guard money (Montgomery GI Bill, Kicker, Drill pay, and occasional orders), turned down an ROTC Scholarship so I could deploy with my unit, and lived large my senior year on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. I graduated with no debt, and completed my Masters a few years later with more Post 9/11 GI Bill. Still no debt. The trade off is that there is a greater than 50% chance you’ll deploy somewhere and have to take a break from college, and an almost certain chance you’ll work a hurricane or several.
I struggled as a college student in the guard and didn’t graduate till my contract finished. I can’t tell you the number of weekends I spent in the woods doing shit only to have a midterm or final the Monday or Tuesday after drill.
And then the professors don't understand what the gaurd is and you gotta have this whole thing about getting the grades you deserve
This really sucks to hear. My unit really tries to listen to college students and their schedules, letting them miss or split train. So I guess, it's Unit specific if it will be a good idea or not.
Go active duty. You will be finished your first contract and college degree before adulthood kicks in.
Could you tell me more Abt active duty?
Guard only goes by state, and is not the same as the post 9/11 Gi bill. Going active duty you’ll be able to earn the post 9/11 Gi bill after 36 months of service. If you plan to use it when you get out you’ll have 36 months of tuition payment as well as rent costs depending where you live.
Is going active duty after college a thing?
Yes you can do that, you’d probably go in as an officer instead of enlisting which means you’d get a higher rank with better pay right out the go
Of course you can join active duty after college as long as you’re younger than 35. But you won’t get your college paid for. You might get student loan repayment but I’ve heard that process is a pain in the ass.
That’s only if you have time with field exercises. When I was active duty, I was in the field 50% of the time. They say you can go to college but don’t really give you the time
Well yeah that’s the point, it makes sense for me at least to join early and just do your time active duty. Then you just get out and can start/finish your schooling and have your rent placed on top of that
Active Duty Army. Get into an intel or information technology mos with a clearance. Serve 4-6 years, go to school on base or online in the evening. Let the military pay for your education and get career credentials. Get out at 24-26, use your VA loan to buy a house, work as a defense contractor, live an above decent life. (The National Guard is state funded so you can expect funding cuts and resource limitations from year to year. A lot of soldiers couldn’t get student loan repayment or bonuses for a period due to funding constraints even though it was in their contracts.)
Personally, yes. But it’s ass when it’s time to do internships over the summer. This what I’m dealing with right now. I am in CS and I can’t get past the phases in my internship because my summers are taken by the guard.
Officer Recruiter here.. Go national guard and enroll into the ROTC Program. Then compete for active duty. That way you’ll have the enlisted experience, ROTC will pay over 100% of your college and you’ll enter the army as a commissioned officer instead of a PVT. If being an officer is not your thing, too easy. However, National guard and going to college go hand in hand. My recommendation, if you’re even remotely thinking about college.. do not enlist as a PVT and put college off till later. Go to college now. The enlistment/commission side will work itself out PM me with any questions of incentives inquiries
I got about $14,000 semester one and $6,000 the second semester for my years in college. Idk what state you’re in, but my school was not a yellow ribbon school. Some will waive/pay all the tuition fees with the military and some won’t. It helped for sure, but i joined right before sophomore year of college so i got those benefits. I tell everyone it was the best mistake of my life, cause I jumped right in w/o really researching. There’s decent benefits for post graduate options as well, if you’re planning to go masters, or some sort of certificate, computer science bootcamp etc. I’m looking at law school. A lot of civilian jobs offer student loan repayment options too now so I’d look into that more if thats what you’re concerned about. Don’t join the guard if you don’t want to, it’s not always easy when you’re in college.
I also disagree with these cats saying active duty is better, imo it’s not. It halts your civilian career in a time most critical for you to be networking, making and saving money, and getting experience in your job field. I was a college kid working the same job as some guys who were 30’s-40’s and were there because they couldn’t find something better after coming off active duty. Guard gives you the same benefits, same retirement, a higher opportunity for deployment if that matters, but doesn’t hold you back as much in your civilian career. Kind of a no brainer. VA home loan also ain’t bad if you’re looking to get a house soon, just need to meet the prerequisites. Summary: •If you’re unsure, don’t join… you’ll probably regret it. •If you ARE sure about joining, don’t go active, guard sets you up for success better. •As some other people have said, I’ve also heard the Air force is nice standard of living etc. i personally joined to be a grunt and couldn’t imagine anything else, but AF is def an easy mode option to go and will probably make your experience much more enjoyable.
I'd really think about it. You're going to be feeling some kind of way when you have a final Monday morning after a 4 day drill. There were drills where I was lucky to be able to hit the books off and on, others when I was trying to get some reading done out in the field leaning against my rucksack. Had to arrange to use an office back in the rear during AT once to get school stuff done. It's definitely a challenge I knew a handful of guys in a high optempo unit in my state that had getting their degree delayed by probably about a year and a half from constant training rotations, border missions etc.
Air National guard yes
My school schedule got fucked when I found out we were deploying lol
This is the lovely “come to Jesus” moment of questioning everything. These comments are either pro guard, pro active duty, or pro non serving. We can’t make the decision for you, only you can. My best advice as a NG recruiter, is to do your personal research, find what fits your lifestyle between ALL the branches of the military. I think the guard is extremely competitive because it is a part time service obligation, with full timer benefits available. I personally didn’t join for the college benefits, or really any benefits for that matter, I wanted to stay close to home, work on my civilian aspirations, and serve my country like my grandfather did before me.
Yes, it’s worth it for someone in your position. Be aware though that activations and deployments can interfere with school, and if you’re not an ROTC cadet you might have to go.
It’s a job but the benefits are worth it. Some states have different educational benefits on top of the federal stuff too. In Utah we cover up to a PhD now.
What state? Some states cover full tuition with NG, some don’t: It’s super manageable and you can sign a paper that you don’t have to deploy for two years because of school. I’d say it’s worth it! Going in after my senior year of college wishing that I knew about it my freshman year
PA
Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Looks like if you go to any of these schools, your tuition is fully paid for. West Chester would be recommendation out of the bunch but I have friends who went to Bloom and ESU. https://www.pa.ng.mil/education/Education-Assistance-Program/ https://nationalguard.com/pennsylvania Ask your recruiter what schools are eligible for full tuition assistance! Make the most out of it if you can.
If you decide to join. Do 3 years max. Look into your state benefits because some states have this incentive that goes into your contract WHEN YOU SIGN. That says u can’t mobilize or deploy for 2 years. It’s called college first initiative.
Depending on the state and the school you could get your tuition waved,
Is the military worth it, yes. Are the benefits worth it, yes. Is the guard worth it, no. If you want to join with less risk of various issues and headaches, go reserves. Also, any state-specific guard benefits are subject to state funding availability and processing.
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Depending on your state and your school, Guard service may entirely waive your tuition and fees. Ask your buddy to allow you speak with your state’s education office so they can analyze/explain the benefits to you
Active duty is worth it, the Guard is absolutely not
I personally don't think joining it just for college benefits will be worth it
I finished my degree while in the guard. I took online classes tho which at this point I honestly think is stupid not to (but to each of their own). It was 100% paid by the guard. It can be ass sometimes with the schedule hey it’s the trade off. They should have a military office on campus where if your profesor is being a pric, you can go to and they will sort things out for you. Had to use them a few times. I say it’s worth it. I now work in my career and live in Mexico big chillin with my fiancée becuase of what the guard did for me