GI Bill
Reserves
Education
Benefits
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If you are young and education is your motivation then just go active duty and knock out your GI Bill time. You can spend 20 years in the Reserves and not have earned any credit toward the GI Bill and come out with no education benefits.
A big frustration I have with young reserve soldiers trying to get their education is the conflicts the reserves causes with said education efforts. Yes, there is the annual tuition assistance program that offers up to $4K a year, but it's like many civilian employer programs in terms of amount and it's only good while you are a part of the USAR. Starbucks for example has a stronger tuition assistance program than the USAR. However, Starbucks is never going to require you to work 28 days straight in the months of Feb-March (effectively ruining an entire semester of time).
If you go active, you come out with 3 years worth of tuition (plus E5 housing allowance) covered for any state school. If you spent those 3 years pecking away at on-line college courses knocking out your GE you could potentially come out of the army only needing 3 years left of your education then by time your GI Bill ran out you'd be DONE.
The elements are there for the system to get you a very credible 4 year degree free and clear of any debt if you are responsible with your finances.
In the reserves, you'd be fighting to try and get on deployments or extended orders to build up your vesting time, and then constantly be in conflict with annual training and weekend drills against school time.
I was fortunate as a company commander of a reserve unit that I had 40+ more soldiers than my mission required. So I could frequently excuse soldiers from various training requirements without my higher putting the screws to me. However, there were more than a few times where I couldn't excuse a soldier with my authority, and well, I just had to let them decide what was more important in life. Getting the degree, or taking an Unsatisfactory attendance mark and living with it.
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Slightly off topic, when I was an Intel Analyst (35F) the local community college teamed up with the Army Intel School, and for a $50 administration fee to the school we were granted 20 SEMESTER UNITS in Intelligence Operations from the community college. BOOM, that's almost a year's worth of college time at NO ADDITIONAL EFFORT which would allow anyone with a GI Bill to focus those benefits toward NON ELECTIVE courses, because well, I just got 20 units toward an Intel Degree or to be used as electives toward anything else.
A big frustration I have with young reserve soldiers trying to get their education is the conflicts the reserves causes with said education efforts. Yes, there is the annual tuition assistance program that offers up to $4K a year, but it's like many civilian employer programs in terms of amount and it's only good while you are a part of the USAR. Starbucks for example has a stronger tuition assistance program than the USAR. However, Starbucks is never going to require you to work 28 days straight in the months of Feb-March (effectively ruining an entire semester of time).
If you go active, you come out with 3 years worth of tuition (plus E5 housing allowance) covered for any state school. If you spent those 3 years pecking away at on-line college courses knocking out your GE you could potentially come out of the army only needing 3 years left of your education then by time your GI Bill ran out you'd be DONE.
The elements are there for the system to get you a very credible 4 year degree free and clear of any debt if you are responsible with your finances.
In the reserves, you'd be fighting to try and get on deployments or extended orders to build up your vesting time, and then constantly be in conflict with annual training and weekend drills against school time.
I was fortunate as a company commander of a reserve unit that I had 40+ more soldiers than my mission required. So I could frequently excuse soldiers from various training requirements without my higher putting the screws to me. However, there were more than a few times where I couldn't excuse a soldier with my authority, and well, I just had to let them decide what was more important in life. Getting the degree, or taking an Unsatisfactory attendance mark and living with it.
***
Slightly off topic, when I was an Intel Analyst (35F) the local community college teamed up with the Army Intel School, and for a $50 administration fee to the school we were granted 20 SEMESTER UNITS in Intelligence Operations from the community college. BOOM, that's almost a year's worth of college time at NO ADDITIONAL EFFORT which would allow anyone with a GI Bill to focus those benefits toward NON ELECTIVE courses, because well, I just got 20 units toward an Intel Degree or to be used as electives toward anything else.
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C Eaves
This is the most informative reply yet! Here's some details you could speak to as well. I do have my bachelors already and am hoping to get a masters. What advice would you give to that situation?
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CPT (Join to see)
C Eaves - If you don't have a burning desire to serve then the Reserves isn't for you. As an organization the Reserves is best for those with a desire to serve with little expectation of benefits, or those coming off active duty trying to complete out 20 years.
Active Duty you can find yourself in a situation you hate, but in 3 years you'll be out, and have a fully vested GI Bill.
In the Reserves you can find yourself in a situation you hate, but then you are stuck for as many as 8 years, and potentially every single one of those years could interrupt an entire academic semester while at the same time giving you no more tuition assistance than what is common in Corporate America.
*****
I'm in my mid 40's and my spouse is very long in her current career and very senior in her company. I wonder sometimes how young soldiers can pull it off, because when I'm put on training exercises for 3-4 weeks (twice what advertised) we as a family can fall back on those longer vacation days of senior employees and just burn up those days and she can be with the kids while I drive in circles in the desert.
I just continue to wonder how young soldiers manage to keep all the balls in the air of life. Some don't, and they let their military obligation flounder with consequences that follow them forever, and all for just trying to get a College Education they never we able to actually get.
Active Duty you can find yourself in a situation you hate, but in 3 years you'll be out, and have a fully vested GI Bill.
In the Reserves you can find yourself in a situation you hate, but then you are stuck for as many as 8 years, and potentially every single one of those years could interrupt an entire academic semester while at the same time giving you no more tuition assistance than what is common in Corporate America.
*****
I'm in my mid 40's and my spouse is very long in her current career and very senior in her company. I wonder sometimes how young soldiers can pull it off, because when I'm put on training exercises for 3-4 weeks (twice what advertised) we as a family can fall back on those longer vacation days of senior employees and just burn up those days and she can be with the kids while I drive in circles in the desert.
I just continue to wonder how young soldiers manage to keep all the balls in the air of life. Some don't, and they let their military obligation flounder with consequences that follow them forever, and all for just trying to get a College Education they never we able to actually get.
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MSgt (Join to see)
new update as well to Forever post 9/11 GI Bill but again you need orders equaling 90days.. IADT :Boot camp and AIT doesn't count
https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/fgib/stem.asp
https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/fgib/stem.asp
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
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If you were ever deployed and served at least 90 days of AD, then you would also received the Post 9/11 GI Bill
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MSgt (Join to see)
Its easier now. Doesn't have to be Continuous anymore if you didn't know. Also many people don't know you can use it for CDL, Firefighter school, Police Academy etc
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