Why should young enlisted vets get their college degree immediately after service instead of waiting for later?

Sgt Matt Medhat — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:11:01 -0500

Response by SGT Justin Morris made Jan 6 at 2018 3:15 PM

SGT Justin Morris — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:15:27 -0500

Simple, your mind is still young. The longer you wait, the harder it will be.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Jan 6 at 2018 3:17 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:17:16 -0500

Sgt Matt Medhat to be more competitive for job opportunities coming out the military.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Jan 6 at 2018 3:29 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 15:29:55 -0500

Because, if you don't early on, it will not be considered the same due to the age thingy. Then there is the fact the longer you wait, more bills and responsibilities. My advice is if you can get it early on, you may miss the opportunity that a degree normally gives you.

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Jan 6 at 2018 4:15 PM

LTC Eugene Chu — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 16:15:00 -0500

A secondary reason is possibility of future officer opportunities. Some enlisted veterans have a desire to return to service in the warrant or commissioned ranks. College education greatly improves resume competitiveness for warrant application and is a mandatory requirement in commissioning programs. Both those programs also have age limits for applicants; school credit / degree may be needed early for eligibility.

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Jan 6 at 2018 4:25 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 16:25:07 -0500

I don't think that they necessarily have to. I think that it is important to seek some kind of education after your service, but college isn't for everyone. Maybe they want to travel. Maybe they don't know what they want to do next so they should try out a few different jobs in order to get a feel for what they enjoy.
I do think that it is easier to get on it right after service though because it does allow one to have a measure of structure to it that may be nice after service. They may also have must more skills in regards to staying motivated and scheduling their time better. Everyone is different though.

Response by SGT Ty Henderson made Jan 6 at 2018 5:05 PM

SGT Ty Henderson — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 17:05:58 -0500

Sgt Matt Medhat I can only speak for me, but it was part of my goals to ETS, get into college, get a degree and get on with life and a career before some life-changing event occurred that could alter my plans. I also was motivated by the fact that as a Combat Engineer on a 2 yr enlistment, I left the Army without any marketable skills and I had better do something to fix that situation.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2018 5:06 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 17:06:35 -0500

Sgt Matt Medhat You should seek the education that you need for the career that you desire. When I was discharged, I knew that I needed a degree for the career that I wanted. I found a good paying chemical plant job and started college. Five and a half years later, I had my degree, and started a 33 year career on the Space Shuttle Program.

Response by CA Delete D. made Jan 6 at 2018 5:24 PM

CA Delete D. — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 17:24:40 -0500

Why wait, though? What is the benefit to waiting when the job market can be brutally competitive? Unless the Veteran really just needs a break and wants to do something low-key for a while, I can't imagine why anyone would wait. It still surprises me that the Post 9/11 GI Bill had the 15 year limit removed and is now available for one's lifetime. Not that I would condone having that benefit canceled out, but if you are going to wait over 10 years to return the school....what would be the point then? Think of opportunities forgone, not to mention extra income/earnings. Even if we are talking a Masters.....I mean, I can see 2-3 years after the bachelors and waiting to get some solid work experience under your belt, but Veterans have 15 years to use it. I can only think that this change was mostly meant for Veterans to pass it on to their kids.

Otherwise, I agree with Sgt. Gunderson - college is not for everyone....and it does not have to be. There are plenty of trade skills that are in high-demand, but then you would want to get that training done sooner rather than later to get working to not lose out on lifetime earnings and retirement funds. If we are talking travel, okay, travel until you have spent enough money, but realize that going back to school is time-consuming and you have to be able to support yourself. The stipend can take care of a lot (assuming full-time attendance and that the SM is not only doing online courses), but depending on the individual situation, particularly if kids are involved, those funds only go so far and working full-time while a full-time student is not an easy task.

I think it is imperative to really, really think it over prior to separation and to have a solid plan of action, even if that plan only includes getting an associates, the credits of which need to be transferable. Most folks seem to be concerned about an income stream after separation, so planning ahead for a job and training is vital. Personally, I wish I would have finished my bachelors in service, but just didn't work out. That is the case for others too: bachelor coursework can get intense and you really need to be on shore-duty to be able to earnestly negotiate study time, homework, projects, etc. If a trade is the end-goal, then you want to get that training done ASAP to build up experience and start earning good money. For instance, I tried truck driving for a bit: it takes a good 6 months post-CDL training to really have solid knowledge of what you're doing and to figure out problems on the road. Other trades have their own conundrums.

Lastly, for those intending to go into some line of work requiring a security clearance, be warned! Most firms I've looked at ONLY WANT ACTIVE CLEARANCES AND RECENT PSI's (if you are within 24 months of separation, your clearance may be reactivated with minimal obstacles). If you can knock out a degree in less than 2 years, DO IT! Especially since so many tech/finance/language/engineering positions require a degree. I took 3.5 years to graduate and by then a clearance reactivation was off the table for me, unless I were to find some major company with an opening I was interested in where they would be willing to pay for a new background investigation. Otherwise, the only other way I could think of is reentering the military for a cleared rating. Some of those cleared gigs pay mucho dinero and you don't want to be sidelined simply because your firm(s) of choice don't want to fork out the green for a clearance.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 6 at 2018 6:12 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 18:12:02 -0500

I was back in school within a week of my ETS. I was already in my early 30s at that point and the transition was bumpy at times, but I think it would have been worse if I had taken a longer break.

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Jan 6 at 2018 7:02 PM

SFC Christopher Taggart — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 19:02:18 -0500

I'm assuming "young enlisted vet" means, someone who has only done one enlistment, leaves at age 21, compared to someone who stayed in the military longer. With that said, he or she can probably move right back into Dad & Mom's house, which will save on housing and utilities, and concentrate mainly on their college studies, without too many interruptions. When they graduate, four years later, they'll still be young enough to be marketable in today's job market. Just like the military, the job market wants their young prospects, “young, dumb, and full of…!”

Response by MGySgt Rick Tyrrell made Jan 6 at 2018 8:12 PM

MGySgt Rick Tyrrell — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 20:12:14 -0500

Let’s be realistic. All service members should get there degree while on active duty and network for a job prior to getting out. To many say I am going to college after but do not look at associating cost. Housing, medical, dental, food to speak of a few expenses. Get the degree & experience then get out if they desire

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 7 at 2018 1:19 AM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 01:19:08 -0500

Couple of thoughts:
- they have kept changing the post 911 GI bill. At first it was indefinite, now its 15 years from discharge. What if they move it again?
- life happens. You plan to "go later". Then you get married. Then you get a job. Then you have bills. Then you have kids. Never a good time and will take more energy to break you loose.
- education or vocational training will increase your earning potential and employability.
- varies by individual, but what is your patience level for education as you get older?
- the sensitivity of colleges to vets and vet issues is at an all time high. This time now may be a the best deal you're going to get.
- combine it with other VA benefits. Some have a three year shelf life.
- some have mentioned commissioning programs as a concurrent goal.
- get on the road now with your life goals so you can spend more of your life enjoying it.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jan 7 at 2018 2:43 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 02:43:22 -0500

They shouldn't. They should get their degrees DURING their service for free, and save their GI Bill for their dependants or post grad.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jan 7 at 2018 9:53 PM

COL Charles Williams — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 21:53:08 -0500

Well... if you believe the Department of Labor... Education and Training equates to more money in the job market. The key is getting a degree or certification in a necessary area. Sgt Matt Medhat

Response by SPC Stacey DeMoss made Jan 8 at 2018 8:09 AM

SPC Stacey DeMoss — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 08:09:38 -0500

I can vouch for this. I was an idiot. After I ETSd, I had a young child and 4 years later I had 2 more children. I was an Army wife and mommy; and waited way too long to start using my GI Bill. I was only able to get in a little over a year into my Nursing training. What a mistake. Don't wait, go to school and make something better for your future.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2018 11:26 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:26:45 -0500

Ok this is a topic of discussion for many different reasons. I tried the college thing prior to joining the service. I did my active duty 4 years. With plenty of 8,9,12,16 plus hour work days. I did not have much spare time to take classes while on active duty. I got out joined the reserves. Then started my college days again got my associate degree. And Bachelor degree. I also transitioned to the guard. I also had gotten married had three kids while in college and doing drill weekends and having a part time job during school as well. If I had waited I do not think I would have been able to accomplish what I did.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2018 12:25 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:25:37 -0400

Why should they wait until later. Most people use their college degree to start a career, do you want them to start a career in their 40s? WTF dude.

Response by CW3 Jeff Held made Mar 22 at 2018 12:29 AM

CW3 Jeff Held — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:29:54 -0400

They should work on their degrees while on AD. No need to wait.