FAME , Finding Alternatives to Military Enlistment

You can get a college education even if your parents cannot afford to pay tuition and even if you are not an honors student. You could start your education by attending a community college close to home. That way you can stay at home and save on housing expenses. Apply for a Pell Grant, and if that doesn't cover your tuition, applu for a loan. Get a part time job to cover your personal expenses. Tuition is lower at a community college, and after 2 years you can transfer to a 4 year school. Your college degree won't say you went to community college, it will look the same as any other college degree, and it will work just as well in your job search.

The military promises of help with your education are exaggerated and misleading. There are several ways to get help with paying for college without joining the military.

Recruiters might promise you tens of thousands of free dollars for college, but it’s not free—you must work for it. And it’s not automatic. Unless you qualify for special jobs or sign up for an extra-long term, you’ll never see the higher amounts of money. To qualify for any college aid at all, you have to pay a $1200 non-refundable deposit to the military. If you receive a less-than-honorable discharge (as about one in four people do), leave the military early (as one in three do), or later decide not to go to college, the military will keep your deposit and give you nothing.

According to the Veterans Administration, less than half of eligible veterans are using their educational benefits, which means the military takes in a lot of money that will not be paid back. In other words, it’s really the military that profits, not veterans.

Colleges can help you find aid if you need it, and it pays to investigate these options before agreeing to give away years of your life or your entire life to the military. Once you complete school, you can start earning the higher wages of a college graduate right away.