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As a service member,Ìýyou’reÌýa driven individualÌýwho’sÌýalways ready for a challenge. WhetherÌýyou’reÌýa cadet or an officer, you know whatÌýhard workÌýlooks like and how to tackle it.ÌýThat’sÌýprobably whyÌýyou’reÌýconsideringÌýpursuing a degree programÌýduring or after your active-duty service.

AndÌýyou’reÌýnot alone: According toÌýtheÌýÌýfrom 2019,Ìýroughly 2.7Ìýmillion employed U.S. college graduates were military veterans. Today, many service members are working toward a degree while still serving on active duty, in the National Guard, or in the ArmyÌýReserve.Ìý

Is Going to College Worth the Cost?

In a word, yes. A traditional or online college degree can dramatically change your salary potential and promotion opportunities or open the door to entirely new career paths.

Based onÌý, bachelor’s degree holders earned a median of $1,578 per week, compared to $966 per week for high school graduates with no college experience—an annualized gap of nearly $32,000 per year. Workers with a master’s degree earned even more ($1,876 per week). Many jobsÌýnowÌýrequire a bachelor’s or master’s degree, so higher credentials canÌýnot onlyÌýhelp you stand out from the competitionÌýbut also get your foot in the door when applying.

The same holds true for military careers.ÌýGenerally, aÌýfour-year college degree is mandatory for commissioned officers. IfÌýyou’reÌýaÌýservice member in theÌýArmy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, or otherÌýmilitary groupÌýwith your eye on becoming an officer, earning a degree is a critical first step. And even if becoming an officerÌýisn’tÌýyour goal, having a bachelor’s or master’s degree can help youÌýmove upÌýthe ranks faster, potentially leading to a higher-paying career.

There are plenty of reasons to pursue a degree whileÌýyou’reÌýa service member: moving up in rank, speeding up a promotion, or transitioning into a new career altogether. But figuring out how to pay for a bachelor’s or master’s degree may have delayed your plans.ÌýIt’sÌýnot as daunting as it may seem—many institutions today accept military education benefits and offer financial aid programs that can lower the net price of a degree, making higher education possible whetherÌýyou’reÌýon active duty or retired.

Does the Military Pay for College?

If serving your country has taught you anything,Ìýit’sÌýthat failing to plan is planning to fail. The same goes for paying for a degree program. With the right strategy, you can make the most of the education benefits, loans, grants, and scholarships available to service members. Between military tuitionÌýassistance, GI Bill benefits, and more affordable online military college options, you can earn a degree without breaking the bank—or, in some cases,Ìýfor free.Ìý

How to Pay for CollegeÌý

Below are financial aid tools that you can use to cover college costs, whetherÌýyou’reÌýattending a traditional four-year university, a community college, or an online school:

GI Bill®

Since 1944, the GI Bill has helped qualifying service members, veterans, and their family members cover some or all of the cost of a college degree.ÌýNot every school accepts GI Bill benefits, soÌýit’sÌýworth doing your homework to find an institution that caters to military students. At Â鶹ԭ´´, every degree program isÌýapproved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Ìýfor all GI Bill education benefits. And because Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s tuition is lower than most four-year colleges, your GI Bill benefits will often cover the full cost of tuition, books, and fees.

Having evolved over the years, theÌýÌýis available to service members who complete at least two years of active-duty service, andÌýeligibleÌýparticipantsÌýcanÌýreceiveÌýup toÌý36 monthsÌýof education benefits.

TheÌýÌýis designed for service members in the Selected Reserve. It also offers up to 36 months of benefits, but it requires a six-year service obligation in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,ÌýorÌýCoast Guard Reserve;ÌýArmy National Guard;Ìýor Air National Guard.Ìý

TheÌýÌýis the education benefit that most current service members and veterans use, and it tends to offer the most generous educationalÌýassistance. If you served at leastÌý90 daysÌýon active dutyÌýor received a Purple HeartÌýon or after September 11, 2001, you may qualify for up toÌý36 monthsÌýof entitlement, which can go toward tuition and fees, aÌýmonthlyÌýhousingÌýallowance if you’re enrolled more than half time, and a stipend for books and supplies. It can also help cover flight training, on-the-job training and apprenticeships, and licensing or certification tests. Before you enroll, use the VA’sÌýÌýto confirm whether your school is an approvedÌýparticipating institution and to compare your expected entitlement across schools.

Passed into law in 2017, theÌý—officially the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act—expanded who can use these benefits, including many National Guardsmen, reservists, and Purple Heart recipients who served after 9/11. It alsoÌýeliminatedÌýthe 15-year time limit on usingÌýPost-9/11 GI Bill benefits for anyone whose last day of active duty was on or after January 1, 2013—meaningÌýit’sÌýnever too late to start a degree program.

So how can the GI Bill help you? You can use it to:Ìý

• Work towardÌýundergradÌýor graduate degree programs:ÌýThe bill canÌýcover costsÌýfor tuition and materials at community colleges, online colleges, or traditional four-year institutions.
• Cover tuitionÌýassistanceÌýgaps:ÌýYou can receiveÌýadditionalÌýfunds if your school’s tuition costs more than what your branch’sÌýtuitionÌýassistanceÌýprogram covers.
• Cover housing costs:ÌýPost-9/11 GI Bill recipients enrolled more than half time can receive aÌýmonthlyÌýhousingÌýallowance based on where their school isÌýlocated.
• Get a tutor:ÌýA tutor can be covered if you need extra help to keep up with coursework and academic assignments.
• Reimburse test fees:ÌýCostsÌýmay beÌýcoveredÌýfor professional licenses and certifications outside of your degree program.
• Accelerate GI Bill payments:ÌýReceive aÌýlump-sumÌýpayment forÌýtech degrees.
• Work while you study:ÌýThe billÌýprovidesÌýtheÌýopportunity to be paid for part-time work whileÌýyou’reÌýenrolled.Ìý

Student Loans

Even if you use your GIÌýBillÌýbenefits, you can still apply forÌýadditionalÌýfinancial aid, including student loans. Veterans’Ìýbenefits paid by the VAÌýaren’tÌýconsidered income, so theyÌýdon’tÌýneed to be reported on your financial aid application. IfÌýyou’reÌýusing military Tuition Assistance funds, though, you do need to include them on your FAFSA as a resource toward tuition costs, which may affect the amount of your award.

SoÌýwhat’sÌýFAFSA, and how do you apply?ÌýFAFSAÌýis the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Military and traditional students alikeÌýcanÌýapply for free online, and the application helpsÌýdetermineÌýwhether you qualify for a Pell Grant (see the next section) and/or student loans.ÌýÌýinclude demonstrating financial need and being enrolled or accepted as a student in a degree program.ÌýAt Â鶹ԭ´´, most military and nonmilitary students qualify for at least one type of federal aid—either student loans or Pell Grants.

TheÌýÌýis the largest of the federal student loan programs. And sinceÌýyou’reÌýborrowing directly from the U.S. Department of Education,Ìýyou’llÌýget these valuableÌýperks:Ìý

• Low interest rates:ÌýStudent loan interest rates are standardized by the government andÌýaren’tÌýinfluenced by your income or personal credit score.
• Subsidized interest:ÌýThe federal government may waive orÌýeliminateÌýloan interest until you graduate.
• Deferred repayment:ÌýNo student loan payments are due whileÌýyou’reÌýenrolled at least half timeÌýand forÌýsix months after you graduate.
• Post-graduate eligibility:ÌýYou can apply these loans to any post-graduate work.

Pell Grants

WhenÌýyou’reÌýfiguring out how to pay for college,ÌýPell GrantsÌýare a valuable resource because, unlike loans, theyÌýdon’tÌýhave to be repaid. These federally funded grants areÌýneedÌýbasedÌýand areÌýdeterminedÌýby your number of dependents and other financial informationÌýdisclosedÌýon your FAFSA. Military and nonmilitary students alike can qualify for Pell Grants to help pay for their degree programs.

To find out ifÌýyou’reÌýeligible for a Pell Grant, complete a FAFSA andÌýseekÌýan undergraduate degree. Part-timeÌýundergradsÌýmay receive less money than full-time students, but your schoolÌýcan’tÌýrefuse Pell Grant funds—even ifÌýyou’reÌýenrolled less than half time.

In addition to federal grants, you may be eligible for state-based financial aid.ÌýState financial aid programsÌýtypically have strict application deadlines, and your first step in securing these funds is the same as for Pell Grants:ÌýsubmittingÌýa FAFSA.

TheÌýmaximumÌýPell Grant award changes from year to year, butÌýit’sÌýheld steady atÌý—the second year in a row without an increase. Eligible students receive at least 10% of theÌýmaximumÌýaward based on financial need, and ifÌýyou’reÌýa Pell-eligible student, you can receive up to 150% of your scheduled award each year.

ScholarshipsÌý

Like grants,Ìýacademic scholarshipsÌýare aÌýsmart way to lower the cost of earning a degree while in the military, since youÌýdon’tÌýhave to repay them. Offered by individuals, schools, and organizations, scholarships can be awarded for a variety of reasons, from academic achievement and financial need to student category and degree program. Not all scholarships are income based, so more people are eligible for scholarships than typically qualify for need-based financial aid.

If you do your research,Ìýyou’reÌýsure to find a scholarship that applies to you. In fact, Â鶹ԭ´´ offers both general and military-specific scholarships for veterans, active-duty service members, and their immediate family.ÌýWe’reÌýalso approved to offerÌýMilitary Tuition Assistance, which you can apply for at your base education office or through Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s Military Support Department. WhetherÌýyou are serving orÌýhaveÌýserved inÌýthe Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, or Space Force, Â鶹ԭ´´ has financial aid options designed to serve all kinds of military students.Ìý

Save Money

Saving money for school sounds straightforward, but itÌýisn’tÌýalways easy whenÌýyou’reÌýshort on time or working with a tight budget. Here are a few practical ways to help you build up the funds you need:

• Rent your home whileÌýyou’reÌýon vacation or deployed, and/or take on a roommate.
• Start your own low-overhead business, like mowing lawns, walking dogs, or providing home organization services.
• Reduce your bills by comparing mobile, internet, and insurance plans.
• Ask for donations to your college fund in lieu ofÌýpresents for yourÌýbirthday, holidays, or other specialÌýoccasions.
• Sell unwanted clothing, furniture, and household goods.
• Cook more meals at home or buy a coffee maker to replace expensive coffee-shop runs.Ìý

Every dollar adds up—andÌýyou’dÌýbe surprisedÌýatÌýhow quickly you can meet your savings goals by being more strategic about your daily spending habits.

Of course, another way to save money for school is to choose a college with lower tuition. Lower costÌýdoesn’tÌýalways mean lower quality when it comes to higher education. Many community colleges have excellent programs, often charging less per credit hour than four-year universities and saving you thousands of dollars in your first two years of school.Ìý

WhenÌýyou’reÌýready to move on to your bachelor’s degree, consider accredited, respected online universities like Â鶹ԭ´´. Â鶹ԭ´´ can be much more affordable than traditional universities thanks toÌýourÌýflat-rateÌýper-termÌýtuitionÌýandÌýourÌýcompetency-based learning model.Ìý

Other ways that an online degree program can save you money:Ìý

• No expensive room-and-board cost:ÌýYou can go to school from your barracks or on- or off-base housing.
• Potential savings on university fees:ÌýWith an online program, you can avoid some traditional university fees, suchÌýas forÌýtranscripts, labs, library access, and assessments.
• No transportation cost:ÌýThis includes avoidingÌýcostly college transfer expenses ifÌýyou’reÌýrestationed.
• No need to wait for a semester to begin:ÌýMany online degree programsÌýhaveÌýmonthlyÌýstartÌýdates.

Military College Options

How can you weigh your best higher ed options? Since you may not beÌýworkingÌýa standard 9–5Ìýschedule—and you may often be in the field, deployed,Ìýor restationed—a flexible online degreeÌýprogramÌýcan beÌýaÌýgreat opportunity.

Â鶹ԭ´´ is currently recognized as aÌýGold-ratedÌýMilitary Friendly® SchoolÌýbecause of our high metrics in veterans’ graduation rates, retention rates, and job placement rates, among other factors.ÌýOur flexibility plays a large part in our veteran students’ success.ÌýMost of our online degree programs have no log-in requirements, so you can study when and where it best suits your schedule. Because Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s programs areÌýcompetency based, you also have the flexibility to complete as many courses as you can per six-month term, which can speed your path to graduation and lower the total cost of your degree.Ìý

Don’tÌýlet money be a barrier to earning your degree. Take advantage of the education benefits, loans, and scholarships that being a service member affords you.ÌýYou’veÌýearned them, soÌýnow’sÌýthe time to put them to use.

Military College Tuition FAQsÌý

How can military members pay for college?

Military members can pay for college through a combination of education benefits,Ìýstudent loans, and personal savings.ÌýPrograms like the GI Bill, Military Tuition Assistance, Pell Grants, and military-specific scholarships can make a college degree far less expensive—or, in some cases, free.ÌýThe VA’sÌýÌýcan help you see how your benefits stack up at different participating schools before you enroll.

Can you useÌýbenefits fromÌýthe GI Bill while serving in the military?Ìý

Yes. Depending on which GI Bill program you qualify for, eligible service members can use GI Bill benefits while still on active duty, in the National Guard, or in the Reserve—not only after they separate. Because using your entitlement while serving can affect how much youÌýqualify forÌýlater,Ìýit’sÌýworth talking with your education office or a VA education counselor about how to sequence your benefits.Ìý

What is Military Tuition Assistance?

Military Tuition Assistance is a Department of Defense (DoD) tuitionÌýassistanceÌýprogram that helps active-duty service members pay for college courses whileÌýthey’reÌýstill serving. Eligibility, coverage amounts, and application steps vary by branch, so check with your Education Services Officer (ESO) or education counselor before you enroll.