Education Benefits of the Army

If there is one thing that the Army has gotten right, it is the educational benefits they offer. I compiled a brief list of the educational benefits available for people contemplating enlisting and soldiers already serving.

United States Military Academy at West Point. West Point is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. In Forbes.com list of 2008 Best Colleges, West Point was ranked #6. They have very stringent standards for admission and students often begin in their junior year preparing to apply for West Point. Active Duty soldiers can also attend West Point if they meet all the criteria for admission. Upon graduation, students must complete five years on active duty in the U.S. Army, and three years in an inactive reserve status.

U.S. Army ROTC. Reserve Officer Training Corps is an excellent option for students that need financial assistance to attend college. ROTC will grant you a full scholarship and give you a stipend to attend college. You will take military science classes and attend training as necessary for your commission. Similar to West Point you will incur a service obligation upon graduation.

College Loan Repayment Program. Feel like you are in deep hole of student loan debt? The Army can help you climb out! This program will pay up to $65,000 of your current student loans in return for your service. About.com did a excellent article about the CLRP program.

Army College Fund. Upon enlistment you can elect to have the Army College Fund as a incentive. Your enlisting Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) will determine if you are eligible for this program. It will be used to supplement your existing GI Bill benefits.

Army National Guard Tuition Assistance (State Sponsored). There are some states that offer tuition assistance for Army National Guard members. Here is a list of the states and their benefits.

Tuition Assistance. Currently the Army and Army Reserve will pay up to $4,500 a fiscal year in college tuition. Army education counselors are available to help you pick a degree plan and college to attend. The Army will pay for your college all the way through graduate school. The $4,500/year does not roll over if you don't use it, so why waste available money?

Green to Gold. This program gives the active duty soldier the ability to attend college to attain their Bachelors degree and return to service as a Commissioned Officer. This is a excellent program that can be utilized by all soldiers.

In-service Physician Assistant Program. IPAP is an excellent program that will train you to become a Physician Assistant. Physician Assistants are in high demand in the civilian sector, and they can make up to $100,000 a year. Upon graduation from the IPAP program you receive a Masters Degree from the University of Nebraska and are commissioned as a First Lieutenant. All current service members are eligible if they meet the requirements for the program. All applications go through a selection process.

Warrant Officer Flight Program. Every want to fly a helocopter? How about flying a Apache, Blackhawk or Chinook? The Army will train enlistees and active duty service members how to fly helicopters. Prospective soldiers can enlist to become Aviators. Current soldiers must apply and be selected to attend flight school. Upon completion of flight school at Ft. Rucker, you will commissioned as Aviation Warrant Officers.

In-Service education. Many schools that you attend in the Army have transferrable credits that can be used for college. This can be used to knock out some of the classes that you are required to take. The Army has a very user friendly system called AATRS that will send your military transcripts to the colleges of your choice for free.

Montgomery GI Bill. The GI Bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. The current monthly rate is $1321.00 as of August 2008. This is an elective program that must be confirmed upon enlistment. The only requirement is that you must pay $100.00 a month for the initial 12 months of your enlistment.

Post 9/11 GI Bill. The Post- 9/11 GI Bill is a new education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Veterans Affairs are still working on the details of this new program. It is scheduled to take effect August 1, 2009. Here is the factsheet.

I have included multiple links throughout this article; I recommend you follow them to learn the exact details of each program.

I highly encourage comments and questions, so feel free!