100% Free College
*Plus a Career & About 15 other "Perks"
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It's worth a quick look...
Yup, College is Free
(& There's a Twist)
*Not only will your College be covered...
*You can pass on up to $125k-150k of College Benefits to your Kids!
*Lastly, you may actually MAKE MONEY going to school (not including your pay)
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Do we at least have your attention?
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We've hit on parts of this a few times throughout the CollegeDawg site but those were just appetizers. Now it's time for the Main Course!
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Here's an Overview of What We'll Cover:
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1. How does College work after you Join?
2. What are the School Options Available?
3. How can a Service Member MAKE MONEY going to College?
4. What is the deal with the "GI Bill for your Kids"?
5. 14 More Benefits that ANYONE Can Appreciate (even you Gen Zer's)
6. Examples of High-Powered Career Choices
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**One quick disclaimer before we get to it. I'm not a Recruiter, have not been a Recruiter, and everything we hit will essentially be "the basics" or generalities----essentially a 30,000-foot overview. Most of these subjects have specific guidelines or rules---but we won't get into those. This is just to give you some ideas on options to consider. Remember, things change all the time so be sure you follow up on your own... Let us know if you want to talk further or get hooked up with a real Recruiter!
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With that said----Let's get rolling...
We're certain you will be very surprised! ​​​​​​​​
So First Off---Let's Talk College
(as if this was a regular job)
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1. You can typically start College within the first year after joining. Essentially, after you go through your Career Field training, you'll get assigned your first permanent duty station. Typically, when that occurs you can request permission to start taking classes. The classes will be paid for by Tuition Assistance (Nothing to do with the GI Bill you earn). The "TA" will cover 1-2 classes at a time, and if you want to add another, you'll be able to supplement your benefits with small portions of the GI Bill. However--THERE MAY BE A BETTER OPTION than that.
We'll get to that soon.
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2. The type of College classes you can take will depend on what type of duty station you are assigned to. Depending on the Service you join, and the MOS you select (that's your Career Field)---your College Path may come in different forms. Generally speaking, here are the basic choices.
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Choice A. On Base LIVE Classes. But how? Well typically each "fairly large" base has a few Colleges that have small campus "Extensions" offering a select group of Degrees that you could earn with many classes live. These are often names you may recognize. When I was in the Marines we had our choice of: Boston University, Campbell University, Webster University, UNC Wilmington, & Coastal Carolina Community College.
That just gives you an idea of the quality of Schools on board some of these bigger bases.
*I'm certain with the Colleges available today----a LARGE number of courses will be offered online making it "Hybrid Learning". This is definitely helpful for when you have training assignments and deployments.
Choice B. "Online Driven" Universities. You have other options to get a fully online degree, but these guys are typically going to have the most Accelerated options available; award the most "Life Experience Credit"; are very Military-Friendly; and they're usually set up and ready to go without any issues. Additionally, you'll probably get your choice of Completely Self-Pace or a Blended Online Learning setup as discussed in our Online University overview. Lastly---these schools often have special tuition rates or may throw a little more "free money" at you.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: This choice is something you'll want to consider for many obvious reasons. One that is not-so-obvious, is because they are truly in the "Education Business". Not to offend----but these schools REALLY want you as a student----which can help in many other areas discussed under our Speed-to-Degree & Cost Cutting Tricks sections. Generally speaking, they usually have that (B-I-S) Mentality.
And to be honest---that's My Jam...
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Choice C. Online Degrees from Individual Public or Private Universities. These allow you to attend Traditional Campus-Based Universities WHO OFFER a few Fully Online Degrees. This may make your decision to possibly "join up" rather easy if you were on the fence. I have a friend who is a die-hard LSU fan. Now---he could never actually get accepted there (just kidding JD), but with this route the acceptance process is far easier for him to become a Tiger graduate. HOWEVER---each University has to become an accepted part of the program---and like him, you'll have to check that out on your own. That's just not our thing...
Regardless, just note---there are a few potential down-sides if you go this route.
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Down-side #1---the costs associated can exhaust your allowable Tuition Assistance pretty quick each year if they don't have special rates---but you'll probably be able to use your GI Bill to help keep you on track with no out-of-pocket. This does impact something else we'll discuss later though...
Down-side #2---PROGRAM RIGOR. Simply put, you never know how hard these may be or how much work you'll need to put in. But if you really wanna be a Tiger...have at it. Just do your research first.
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*Lastly, you may have a couple other routes like some Career School Programs or various off base Community College options---but that will totally depend on location. Additionally, your specific job and standard work hours may impact these potential opportunities.
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OK, Next: 3 More Important Things
(Related to College itself & Education Benefits offered by the Military or Government)
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1. Remember when we discussed Dependent vs Independent students under "The Basics of Financial Aid"?
Well, you'll now be considered "Independent". ---Congrats!
Your FAFSA (& SAI #) will be based on YOUR INCOME---not Mommy & Daddy's.
And because it goes by the "Prior-Prior Year's" tax return, you'll be using YOUR RETURN for 2023 when you may have been a HS Student or a lower-paid young adult.
(Note: as of writing the College School Year was 2025-2026 which actually used the last returns filed before FAFSA submission in Dec 2024---which would have been 2023.
That is known as "Prior-Prior Year")
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Anyway, what does that mean for you?
Well, you ARE VERY LIKELY to be eligible for Pell Grants and possibly other Need-Based Grants.
In 2025 Pell is $7395 for "Full Time" students, FSEOG money is up to $4000, and state-based grants like in SC are up to $3500 (all of these are awarded annually).
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Wait what? CollegeDawg, are you saying I might net a profit?
Yup---welcome to "The System"---now you too can work it. The key in this scenario is to attend a College with an accelerated program that can turn your 2 classes at a time (1-2 days a week) into "Full Time". But how?
Ex. If you were on 5-week terms, that means you would do 3 "terms" in the same time period as one normal Campus-Based "Semester". Thus, if you took 2 classes at a time, you'd net 6 classes total during that same time period. You only need 4 to be full time----so you could flip-flop between 1 & 2 courses at a time in that case. Just remember, "TA" won't cover all that by itself---but who cares? This gives you a way to pay for any additional tuition and pocket the difference as "other expenses". Additionally, it keeps you from chipping away at your GI Bill (that's next).
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*One quick thing before we move on. Using the entire scenario above, let's say you actually made a lot of money in the Prior-Prior year used for FAFSA purposes----don't forget to get your Financial Aid Dept to help you submit a "Professional Judgement" ("PJ"). Now you can replace that tax year income with your current compensation as a newbie in the Military. Here comes Pell...
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​2. "The GI Bill" - This is getting kinda long, so we'll keep this short. When you join the military, you become qualified for the Post 9-11 GI Bill as time goes on in your first enlistment.
To keep it simple, let's say YOU DID NOT USE ANY while in the military---which is the plan FOR LOTS of new enlistees. When you get out, you'd be able to go to school essentially for free (Tuition) at most schools while also getting some book money and Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) to help pay for where you live. That MHA is based on zip code, and as an example is presently roughly $2100 for Orlando, FL. So obviously---it could cover Room & Board as well. You get 36 months' worth of this benefit and can use it in small portions while you're still "in" to cover anything left over after "Tuition Assistance" is maxed for the year (if the Grants didn't cover it---but they will for the first couple years) Got it?
*There's more to it, but we'll leave it there for now for simplicity's sake.
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3. "GI Bill for your Kids" - OK, it's not called that. We named it that to keep it simple and memorable. Marketing 101.
Anyway, at a certain point (typically 6 years) you'll be able to transfer YOUR REMAINING GI BILL to your kid, kids, or spouse. Yup, it can be split. And, if you listened to the ideas above----it should almost all be there still! The later you wait to get started, the more money you'll be making in the Military---hence reduced Pell Grant---and probably no Need-Based Grants to help with the tuition overage once "TA" is maxed annually. So, don't mess around---get that College started quickly...
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To Sum it up:
Regardless---how you spin it, you are covered for College. If you play your cards right, you'll earn a degree quickly (Years 2-4 ideally) when the Grant money is there---and never touch that GI Bill. Now your kid(s) are pretty much covered and all involved are College Educated.
What a great country...​​​​​
The Last Part!
So, What Other Benefits Do You Get in Today's Military?
(Based mostly on what I'd want to hear at 18-20 years old)
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1. Room & Board - Since we're talking College---you should know about this. I've got a kid at a "Major Football School", and can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt the base "Dorm Rooms" (Barracks) are far better than his accommodations now. Essentially, you're looking at a 2 person room with one full restroom in most cases. The Dining Hall is very similar to what you might find on a campus as well. PS...It's all included
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2. Signing Bonuses - Yeah, this one's good. Depending on the Career Field you select, you might be eligible for an average signing bonus
of 5k-20k. If you choose one of the really HIGH DEMAND FIELDS, those could be 20k-45k.
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3. Pretty Solid Base Pay - since you already have your standard living expenses covered. At time of writing a E-3, which most people achieve in the first year equates to monthly pay of about $2700----so roughly 32k----and your housing and food are covered.
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4. Regular Raises & Promotions (& Job Security) - Every year you get a raise, even if you don't get promoted. It typically comes in the form of a Time in Service Adjustment every year after 2 years. But there is also a Cost-of-Living Adjustment each year determined by the Gov't.
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5. 30 Days Vacation EVERY YEAR - And roughly 5 or 6 extended 4-day holiday weekends per year (called 96's). Ask around, most Professional Adults in the Real World get about 2 weeks Vacation and a few Personal Days to use.
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6. Career Field Selection - That's right, you typically get to choose. Pick right and you can have an awesome job that leads right to a pretty lucrative and in-demand Civilian or Government Career. Definitely call us on this one if you're not sure...
Additionally, this choice will often determine the percentage of time you're in the US vs. Traveling the world.
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7. Set Retirement Benefits - Yeah, I know---38 years old IS OLD. But look around you. Your Cool Football Coach might be 38. The actor playing your favorite Super-Hero might be 38, and believe it or not------Aaron Rodgers was 38 like 4 years ago. That's basically how old you'd be to earn Retirement Pay FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE if you went in at 18. That might equate to a direct deposit of $4k per month for life, along with recurring payment for any basic injuries or physical wear-and-tear that occurred due to your service. This can go from hundreds to thousands per month. Imagine if HS or College Athletes got that deal!
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8. Another Supplemental Retirement Plan - Kinda like a 401k. You save money and the Government matches it for your "Investment Account". You might throw in 4% and the Federal Government matches it for another 4%. That's 8% of your pay. Let's say you averaged $5000 monthly in base pay during your career (before you "retire" at 38). That could equate to about 150k-250k with you feeling almost no pain.
INTERESTING MATH TIDBIT: If you did this and saved 200k, then you just let it sit there until you're about 60 (like you do with most 401k's), you'd have a little over ONE MILLION---with no additional funds added (using basic growth of 8% annually).
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9. Travel the World - Depending on the Career you select, you can probably do this to your heart's content. You may never have the opportunity to do it again in your lifetime. And guess what---you usually get extra pay to do it.
Conversely, you can also pick a Service & Career Field that is almost the opposite in many cases (i.e. minimal travel). I did this for a few years to finish my degrees (since online wasn't an option yet). But yes, there was an internet--thanks for asking.
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10. Free Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability "Insurance". Look, I know it's not SEXY--but ask your parents. This might be worth 5k+ per year considering Co-Pays and Deductibles.
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11. Re-Enlistment Bonuses if you Stick Around - Let's just say they typically surpass what you see above for Entry-Level Signing Bonuses.
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12. Career Change and Duty Station Preference Options - are usually available if you choose to keep on truckin' after your first few years.
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13. Actual Management & Leadership Experience that transfers to Civilian Jobs - Along with a network of Millions of Veterans---not just 250k Fraternity Boys that honestly RARELY impact your employment and promotion possibilities over your work-life journey.
PS: Just as an example, I live on a cul-de-sac road with houses that aren't cheap. There are about 11 houses on this street. Over the
last 7-8 years almost half have been owned by Marines or other Veterans at one point or another. Definitely not a coincidence...
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14. "Thank you for your Service" - In today's day and age you become part of something special, unique, and appreciated. You get great discounts and almost every time you use them...you get to hear those words. Not everyone can say they get that kind of admiration, let alone make a difference in a lot of people's lives! Just Consider it...
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So, let's wrap this up with some examples of outstanding Career Opportunities that
most people would have TO PAY $50k-$100k for the training, and still may not land the job.
But Veterans have a head start in the Interview and Selection Process
because not only do they have the training, THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
And, if you listen to CollegeDawg, you'll also have the Degree to go along with it!
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Career Fields with Pretty High Pay & Almost Always Above-Average Demand:
Air Traffic Controller, Nuclear Propulsion Tech, Intelligence Analyst, Cybersecurity, Aircraft Maintenance Techs, Radiology Specialists, Logistics Specialists, Cyber Warfare Tech (Hacker), Dental Specialist, Paralegal Specialist, Information Tech, Diesel Mechanic, Cryptographic Tech, Construction Electrician, Utilitiesman, Operating Room Specialist, Transportation Management Coordinator, Pharmacy Specialist, Heavy Equipment Operator, & Bioenvironmental Engineering Technician. Give me another hour and I can probably double this... CASE CLOSED
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Bottom Line:
We're definitely not trying to sell you on this Idea. We'll just bet no one has truly explained this to you in a way that presents the facts in this manner. If you're unsure about your future---it's an awesome way to go. I promise I've had multiple conversations with each of my kids about the opportunities. Even if you or your Parents say absolutely no way---save this page to share it with others who may need it.
You could 100% change a life with that small gesture...
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