College while in air force?

buffalo_firefighter225

Okay, first off it will depend on your chosen AFS (Air Force Specialty). I am going to assume that you will have an 8 hour job like most Airmen. I am a firefighter and work 24 hours on, 24 hours off, for example. Even as firefighter my supervisors understand the importance of education and they gave me ample time at work, after-hours, to do my schooling uninterrupted.

You will most likely work until about 4:30pm and have all night to take courses. I highly suggest taking all of your courses online. That way you will always have time to finish your work, even if you are deployed. The Air Force has plenty of computers for you to do school work at any location in the world.

I hate to sound like a recruiter and I'm not trying to sell you on anything but from my personal experience, I've always had time to finish my college assignments. But, I also have taken all of my courses online. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

In addition, you will completely remove the burden from your parents because the Air Force will pay for all of your classes while you're enlisted. This will in no way affect your GI Bill. You will still have $80,000 for education when you get out. Now you can even pass your GI Bill on to your children or spouse! Awesome program. Don't worry about all of these crusty old people yelling at you about paying your own way. You'll understand that and make those connections in due time. There are also grants you can apply for at our education centers that can pay for all your books. Like I said before, feel free to message me on the side. I'm an NCO and I always have time to help you with any problems. Thats what you can expect of todays Air Force as well!

Signed,

RED HORSE Firefighter

Tkr2good

You can complete a degree depending on a couple of factors..

1) Your job - what are the work hours..(online college will help here)
2) Your boss - will they be supportive
3) The college - are they supportive of your needs knowing your job
4) Your dedication - this was my problem, on, off, on, off....but I am 1 class away.
5) Your time management skills - can you balance, school, work, friends, etc
6) Your degree - some "lesser" majors may be easier than others.

I joined due to financial reasons. I did not want to put my parents in debt..+ they were not wealthy to begin. Also, I wanted to be my own man to pay my way through life. I originally was going to stay for 4 and go, but I fell in love with the AF and my job/career. I stayed an NCO because there are certain things NCOs do that Officers don't. Yes, it was a pay difference, but my pay off is my post career opportunities. I am in COMMUNICATIONS and you know my job is good when an officer comes to work your job before they get out....

Good luck in your choice. But remember, life is a road full of directions. Be flexible and enjoy the ride!!

D S

It is all up to you - you have to be very good at time management, and realize that you may not be able to complete your goal by attending the traditional classroom setting of college. There are options such as online, CD-ROM classes offered to service members. Take advantage of every opportunity, and stay focused!

Ross

If your parents are at an income level where they are having a tough time paying for college then you should be eligible for financial aid if you submit the fafsa:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
The college will come up with a financial package that will include a certain amount of "grant aid" as well as "self help aid."

Grant aid: Institutional or governmental grants of aid money that do not need to be paid back.

Self help aid: Work study and student loans.

Work study: Subsidized jobs a student with work study can apply for. Usually on campus or very near campus. Pay much more than minimum wage.

Student loans: A variety of loan programs. Usually do not need to start making payments till after graduation or leaving school.

If a student's financial package contains mostly loans, a student can ask for more work study rather than loans. It may or may not be granted.

If the college you are attending is a private very high cost school and offers little institutional grant aid, then maybe think about switching to a low cost public university that has an afrotc detachment. The quality of the degree will still be much higher than any on line degree program. An air force officer's commission will be a much likelier outcome in far less time, than by enlisting, and you will control your own destiny rather than having it controlled by a supervisor you may not get along with and who may not give evaluations that will allow selection for any air force enlisted commissioning programs you might wish to apply for. Switch to a junior college with cross town arrangements with an afrotc detachment for sophomore year. Then apply for an afrotc scholarship.
http://airforcerotc.berkeley.edu/_crosstown-schools.htm
[20 of the 36 cross town colleges are junior colleges.]
Here are the Air Force enlisted commissioning programs, though all but one involve separating from the air force to pursue a degree using afrotc. Since that is available to you now, it would make no sense to join and wait a few years to have enough rank to have a realistic chance to be selected for one of these programs.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/AFROTC/EnlistedComm/EnlistedCommissioning.asp
Calculate regular military compensation at the link. Location makes a significant difference due to the housing allowance(BAH.) Single Enlisted Sailors and Coasties ranking below E-5, Enlisted Marines and Soldiers ranking below E-6, Enlisted Airmen below E-4 live in the barracks and do not collect BAH:
http://www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/mpcalcs/Calculators/RMC.aspx
2nd Lt( Army, Air Force, Marines) = Ensign(Navy, C.G.) = O-1.
1st Lt( Army, Air Force, Marines) = Lt JG(Navy, C.G.) = O-2.
Captain( Army, Air Force, Marines)= Lt(Navy, C.G.) = O-3.
Advancement to O-2 around the 18th month.
Advancement to O-3 by about 42nd month
Good Luck!

SuperDem

First, being an officer and being an enlisted person are two totally different vocations. Second, yes you can go to school in the evenings but, first you will have to complete your CDC's (at least one year) before your commander will allow you to activate your Tuition Assistance entitlement and you will probably be capped at around 6 credits a semester (But you can CLEP alot of courses and receive some college credits for you AF training. Bottom line, if you have 3 yrs of college left, plan on another 5-6 years to complete your degree if you join the active duty Air Force. That said, service in the enlisted Air Force is a great experience that will open many doors to you. The vast majority who choose this path are glad they did! Even if you leave after your first enlistment, you will be far ahead of your peers. OTS is not guaranteed however. AFROTC is the only way you can be assured a commission if that is what you want.
As far as being an officer, its a different beast. It is truly a calling. You become responsible for everything you and your subordinate do or fail to do. The level of responsibility and liability you will bear will far exceed that of an enlisted person.
If you truly cannot afford to remain in college, may I also suggest enlisting in the AF Reserve or ANG. They have some great tuition assistance programs as well. You could even be in AFROTC while serving part-time. Bottom line, I always recommend the Air Force to all who are interested. I hate to see people join with unrealistic expectations. Good luck

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