How Much Does The National Guard Pay For Basic Training
When youre in Basic Training, youll receive a normal salary based on your ranking. As with pretty much everything else within the military and the National Guard, your pay scale depends on your rank and level of education.
If youre enlisting with no prior education, youll start as an E-1. If you do have a four-year degree under your belt, you can enlist as an E-4 for Basic Training or enter as an O-1 officer. These differences greatly affect your pay in Basic Training.
The following numbers are estimations based on extended training pay for the Army National Guard.
An E-1 in the National Guard will have an average salary of around $1,733 per month for Basic Training. An E-4 will average a salary around $2,263 per month for Basic Training, and an O-1 might receive around $3,287 per month for Basic Training in the National Guard.
Of course, these are all averages and your pay will vary due to your unique circumstances.
Air Force Student Loan Repayment
Members of the Air Force also have an opportunity to get up to $65,000 in education benefits. The Air Force Judge Advocate Generals Corps Student Loan Repayment program is designed for highly qualified JAG officers who serve in the Air Force and hold a JD degree.
To qualify, you must be an active-duty Air Force officer, be serving a duty commitment of at least four years, and have qualifying federal student loans. You must be current on all your loans and be qualified to serve as a judge advocate. Payments are spread out over three years and begin after your first year of service as a JAG officer.
Budget Request For Fy2019
In February 2018, the Pentagon requested $686 billion for FY 2019.
The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act authorized Department of Defense appropriations for 2019 and established policies, but it did not contain the budget itself. On 26 July, this bill passed in the House of Representatives by 359-54. On 1 August, the US Senate passed it by 87-10. The bill was presented to President Trump two days later. He signed it on 13 August.
On 28 September 2018, Trump signed the Department of Defense appropriations bill. The approved 2019 Department of Defense discretionary budget was $686.1 billion. It has also been described as “$617 billion for the base budget and another $69 billion for war funding.”
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Can You Go To College After The Military As A Veteran
Yes! Going to college as a veteran is entirely possible for you, even though you may feel intimidated at the thought. In fact, many military veterans choose to go to school after their service, and most are first-generation students. In the year 2018, an estimated 75 percent of veterans were enrolled as full-time students in a postsecondary institution. Most were pursuing undergraduate degrees, while some were earning certificates, diplomas, or even graduate awards.
In addition to active duty tuition assistance, there is financial support for veterans attending college, as well. GI benefits, for example, can be used to help pay for tuition, books, and on-campus housing if needed. Some schools, like Goodwin University, participate in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program. This means that these schools provide additional funds for veterans college education, without an additional charge to their GI Bill entitlement. Some veteran students can have the cost of tuition funded in its entirety.
The Benefits Of Enlisting To Help Pay For College
leadership opportunitiesArmyNavyAir ForceCoast GuardSpace ForceMilitary.comhave the chance to see places you wouldnt have the opportunity to do so otherwisesteady incomeMilitary.com highlightsGI BillPost 9/11 GI Billmilitary scholarshipsFree Application for Federal Student Aid1.) Join the armed forces after high school and work on your college degree while youre on active duty. 2.) Start college as a civilian , graduate with your associate or bachelors degree and become a military officer. programs designed to help students prepare for the military, while in collegeMilitary.com3.) Serve in a military reserve branch or the National Guard while youre in college. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs4.) Apply as a student in a military academy. CNBCpay for room and board
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Military Student Loan Repayment Programs
Provided your loans are in good standing, the military may pay off some or all of your student loan debt. Your eligibility depends on which military branch you have enlisted in. Heres a glimpse of the branch-specific programs:
- Active Duty Health Professions Student Loan Repayment Program: Health professionals who are on active duty can qualify for $40,000 per year towards their student loan debt for up to three years. This program applies to those serving in the dental, medical, allied health, nursing, or veterinary corps. If youre in the reserves for these professions, you may also be eligible for up to $50,000 in total loan forgiveness, spread over three years.
- Army Student Loan Repayment: The military pays for college loans if youre in the Army too up to 33.5 percent, or $1,500, towards the unpaid principal balance of your student loans for each year of active duty.
- Navy Student Loan Repayment Program: Members of the Navy who served a minimum of three years on active duty during their first enlistment may be eligible for this program. It offers the same rates as the Army: 33.5 percent, or $1,500, toward your principal balance, whichever is greater. As long as your loans are not in default, you can receive as much as $65,000 in loan forgiveness.
- National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program: This program offers individuals the chance to earn up to $7,500 yearly, with a maximum of $50,000, toward qualifying student loan debts.
Are Military Dependents Eligible For Education Benefits
Individuals enrolled under the Post 9/11 GI Bill can transfer their benefits to their dependents. If youve served at least 90 days of active duty since September 10, 2001, then you or your dependent can already receive tuition and fees, in addition to a stipend for housing and books.
Family members who have survived a military members passing after September 10, 2001, may also be eligible for the Fry Scholarship, which offers the same benefits.
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Limit Your Interest With The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is for any military members who took out student loans out prior to joining. They provide a cap on interest rates while you serve on active duty and this applies to both federal and private loans.
The loan mustve been disbursed before you started active duty. The interest rate cannot exceed 6% and this can bring significant savings, especially with private loans.
How to apply for SCRA:
Submit a copy of your service orders to have this applied to your loans
- Wait until your loan servicer applies the cap through checks of the military database
This is helpful for anyone who wants to join the military after youve finished your education. It can keep your payments low and cap the amount of interest you need to pay back.
Getting Your Degree While In College
Did you know that one of the most popular reasons people join the military is to earn their degree? You can earn a degree and prepare for a civilian career while on active duty. Online courses make it easy to earn a degree from anywhere in the world.
You can access excellent university education, paid for all or in part by the military through Tuition Assistance. Joining the military can also be a way to get high-level training for professional careers like pilots, doctors, and nurses. You may even be paid to learn! The GI Bill makes it easier for students to get a degree even after leaving the military. In fact, 75% of veteran students in 2018 were enrolled as full-time students.
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Time In Service And Additional Service Commitments
Any enlisted Soldier using TA must have enough time left in service to complete the courses they are signing up for.
- Active Duty officers incur an Active Duty Service Obligation of two years, and
- Reserve Component officers incur a Reserve Duty Service Obligation of four years.
- The ADSO/RDSO is calculated from the date of completion of the last course for which TA was used.
Do Veterans Qualify For The Federal Pell Grant Program
Yes, student veterans can receive financial assistance from the Federal Pell Grant program if they meet certain criteria. The grant provides up to $6,495 for the 2021-2022 school year, though awards vary based on expected family contribution, cost of attendance, and enrollment status.
The program provides financial aid to full-time and part-time students. Students may also receive funding to attend an extra semester within the award year. To qualify, students must complete the FAFSA. Applications open October 1 each year for the following academic term.
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Why The Army Changed The Tuition Assistance Program
Budgets are being crunched from all directions, and each branch of the service has been tasked with doing more with less. The Army TA program was briefly halted several years ago due to the automatic spending cuts that were part of the sequestration.
After the programs were reinstated, each branch took a long look at how they could reduce the budget while still offering their troops education benefits.
Each branch altered their TA program to some degree, with the Air Force making many changes similar to the Army TA Program. The Coast Guard had the most drastic changes, in which they reduced the benefit to a 75% tuition payment with the member paying the remaining 25%. The Coast Guard also reduced the total number of credit hours per year.
National Defense Student Loan Discharge
The National Defense Student Loan Discharge is for military members who served at least 1 year in an area deemed imminent danger or in direct fire. Your Perkins or Direct Loans would qualify.
How to Apply for National Defense Student Loan Discharge:
Fill out the Department of Defense form and send a letter to your loan servicer explaining why you think you qualify for the discharge. The discharge amount varies, so your servicer is the best point of contact.
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How Much Does The National Guard Pay
The National Guard is quite different when it comes to pay scales when compared to the other branches of the military. Essentially, you get paid for every day you work.
The work done by the National Guard includes, on average, two drills per week as well as your actual job in which youll receive a salary. For example, in addition to your base pay, youll get paid per drill, for any training you attend, and any time youre deployed.
To break things down further, well go through some of the benefits youll receive in the National Guard noting everything from education benefits to training pay and how much a National Guard salary is.
Jump On Gi Bill Benefits
If you are married to a more senior service member, you won’t qualify for MyCAA funding. If you want to earn a bachelor’s degree or graduate degree, MyCAA won’t pay.
Yet your military benefits may still enable you to pursue your academic dreams. Your service member’s Post-911 GI Bill Benefits may be transferred to you.
This option isn’t for everybody: Your service member will have had to serve for six years and be committed for at least four more years in the military.
There are also some new, tightened restrictions about who qualifies for transferability and how long they have to make those transfer decisions. Confused about your eligibility? Don’t be.
The GI Bill was a great option for Nikki. She and her husband determined that he was less likely to go back to school than she was. Since Nikki was ready now, transferring their benefits made sense.
Nikki is now busy looking for schools where she can train to be a veterinarian her life-long dream. Growing up, I just figured that was like dreaming of being president,” she said. It was never going to happen. And now it is!”
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Does The Military Pay For College The Full Guide To Education Benefits
Enlisting in the military is an enormous decision thats bound to give you a new perspective on life, friendship, and service. The amount of commitment that becoming a recruit entails also comes with plenty of advantages: you can travel, expect a guaranteed paycheck, engage in advanced specialty training, and often, the military pays for college!
If youre already passionate about becoming a soldier and would like to use your time serving to supplement your education, weve got you covered. Read on for a comprehensive overview of how the military can pay for college.
Other Education Benefits For Veterans
In addition to help with paying for college, veterans can also take advantage of other types of assistance. You may be eligible for any of the following:
- Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.This scholarship provides funding to eligible veterans who are receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and completing a degree program in a STEM field.
- Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses . The VET TEC program matches veterans with training providers to help them advance their career schools. Veterans receiving GI Bill benefits are eligible for the program.
- Yellow Ribbon.Veterans are also eligible for the Yellow Ribbon. As we discussed above, you must be GI Bill-eligible to qualify.
- National Call to Service Program.The National Call to Service program is a GI Bill alternative for people who completed a period of national service. Veterans can choose from cash assistance, student loan repayment, or education assistance.
If youre not sure what benefits you qualify for or need help applying, you can contact a Veterans Service Organization or accredited Veterans representative for assistance.
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Why Go To College While In The Military
Tuition assistance is one benefit provided to active and retired members of the Service. However, the benefits of college extend beyond the financial support. Military service members also consider enrolling into a college program to:
- Expand their career opportunities.
- Increase their job marketability and salary potential.
- Develop new skills to ease the transition to civilian life.
- Learn to apply military skills in civilian life.
- Improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
Through your experience in the military, you already know that you are hard-working, dedicated, and driven to succeed. While you may feel out of place in a college classroom, know that these qualities will work to your advantage. You will be ready and motivated to succeed. You likely already have goals in place that you want to achieve. This will put you at an advantage as you work towards your degree.
The Air Force Military Tuition Assistance Program
Am I eligible? The US Air Force is a little stricter with its criteria for tuition assistance. Youll need to pass your physical fitness tests and have zero record of performance reports or unfavorable information files.
What does it cover? The Air Force will pay up to $250 per semester hour and $166 per quarter hour . You need to apply for courses in schools that have signed a DoD MoU.
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What To Look For In A Military
As noted above, attending a military-friendly college is key to having a successful educational experience outside the Service. Military-friendly colleges have dedicated services available to military students, and also are able to create flexible schedules for students that are balancing obligations. As you explore potential schools to earn your college degree or certificate, look for the following qualities:
Expert Interview: Lizz Galea Us Air Force A1c
Lizz Galea
U.S. Air Force A1C Lizz Galea, 23, is from Kalkaska, Michigan, and is currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, about 75 miles from London. She decided to join the Air Force in April 2019 and officially enlisted in the DEP in May 2019. She is taking online classes in pursuit of an arts and sciences degree from Northwestern Michigan College, located about 25 miles from her hometown. She has a particular interest in dietetics and hopes to eventually work as a registered dietitian for athletes.
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Working With Your Certifying School Official
Before veterans can receive educational benefits, their school must report their enrollment to the VA. The school certifying official can access enrollment information, request information, submit inquiries to the VA, and certify student’s enrollment. This official can help student veterans access other benefits, as well.
SCOs complete annual training to remain compliant and have continued access to certify students enrollment on the VA’s website. To assist student veterans, an SCO needs a copy of the student’s certification of eligibility.The certificate of eligibility indicates how many months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits the service member has remaining.
The officer will also need copies of military and college transcripts. Transfer students complete an additional form to indicate their change of program or school.
Notify your SCO of any changes in your enrollment status right away. The SCO may work in the school’s financial aid office or a separate office dedicated to student veterans services.