College or Service?

[David]

Looking for some advice, both from people who have/are serving and from college graduates who had to deal with getting federal aid.

For the last few months, my plan for after finishing my AS degree next semester has been to enlist in the air force. My main motivations were getting out of my parents house and starting my own life, gaining some financial security and job experience while having 4 years to work on my animation demos during my off-time, and gaining access to the educational benefits the military offers.

However, due to the amount of financial aid I started and should in theory KEEP receiving, I'm finding that I have the option to basically get a free no-strings-attached ride to transfer to a university and finish a bachelor's degree. The problem is, I'm not entirely trustful of this system. I've changed nothing that I'm doing but only now am I suddenly eligible for the level of money I'm getting. It would be great to completely finish college, but I don't want to put myself in a position where I can have the financial carpet pulled from under me. I'm going to make an appointment with a councilor and see if I can figure out exactly what it is that made me start receiving decent aid and find out for sure if it would continue through university, but presently this is shooting holes in my immediate plans.

Is it better to take the safer (financially speaking) but slower service route, or to jump on the college financial aid chance to finish a degree and get on to what I really want to do in life several years faster but with the risk of finding myself forced to either drop out or take out some nasty ugly loans?

 

[Dave]

In most cases you can go to college while in the military and get not only a wage but a degree. I think the military service is good for pretty much everyone.

I work at a university that works a LOT with military people and would be more than willing to help you out if that's the way you choose to go.

 

[Officer_Charon]

The downside to holding off on continuing to university, even if only for a short period until you figure out where your final posting is going to be, is that the longer you wait, the harder it is to get back into the system.

I can understand your skepticism about the extra financial aid... do your homework. If it looks legit, I'd say take them up on it.

 

[Covar]

How old are you? once you hit 24 you suddenly become an independent student in the eyes of the almighty FAFSA (regardless of previous parental involvement) and financial aid will increase.

 

[Necronic]

Going back to school is REALLY hard, even for military guys. A friend of mine recently went back, and even after earning a bronze star and contemplating becoming a drill seargent he is having a hard time figuring out how to have the discipline necessary to do well in university.

Assuming you can come back without any mental or physical injuries, which is a big assumption, I have foudn that the military has done a lot of good for my friends that have gone.

 

[Bones]

Looking for some advice, both from people who have/are serving and from college graduates who had to deal with getting federal aid.

For the last few months, my plan for after finishing my AS degree next semester has been to enlist in the air force. My main motivations were getting out of my parents house and starting my own life, gaining some financial security and job experience while having 4 years to work on my animation demos during my off-time, and gaining access to the educational benefits the military offers.

However, due to the amount of financial aid I started and should in theory KEEP receiving, I'm finding that I have the option to basically get a free no-strings-attached ride to transfer to a university and finish a bachelor's degree. The problem is, I'm not entirely trustful of this system. I've changed nothing that I'm doing but only now am I suddenly eligible for the level of money I'm getting. It would be great to completely finish college, but I don't want to put myself in a position where I can have the financial carpet pulled from under me. I'm going to make an appointment with a councilor and see if I can figure out exactly what it is that made me start receiving decent aid and find out for sure if it would continue through university, but presently this is shooting holes in my immediate plans.

Is it better to take the safer (financially speaking) but slower service route, or to jump on the college financial aid chance to finish a degree and get on to what I really want to do in life several years faster but with the risk of finding myself forced to either drop out or take out some nasty ugly loans?

I'll put it simply to you, if you join up you will be going overseas to a god forsaken dustball or perhaps the Korean peninsula if current events escalate. do what you feel is right, but try not to stop going to school if you want more. if you stop it will only be all that much harder to get going again.