US Military and College Funding

I'd love to know how the U.S. military pays for college for the ones serving. Does the military cover all costs or just a certain portion? Are there specific conditions that need to be met?

Sure, happy to provide some insight into this. The U.S. military offers several programs to help service members pay for their college education and they vary a bit.

Most notably, there's the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which covers up to 100% of your school's in-state tuition and fees for public institutions, or up to $28,937 per academic year for private and foreign institutions as of August 2021. If you've served at least 90 days of active duty service post-Sept.10, 2001, or served at least 30 continuous days and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, you're eligible for this benefit. The amount of coverage you get depends on your length of service.

The Montgomery GI Bill is another option. This offers a monthly stipend directly to the service member based on factors like length of enlistment, type of training, or category of service. It requires a commitment of active duty service and a $1,200 non-refundable contribution from your military pay.

Notably, there's also the Tuition Assistance program, offered to active duty, National Guard and Reserve Component service members. The Department of Defense pays up to 100% of the tuition expenses, up to a cap of $250 per semester credit hour, and a maximum of $4,500 per fiscal year. Schools often have agreements to not charge more than this amount to service members using Tuition Assistance.

The military also offers college loan repayment programs, where they help service members pay off previously acquired student loans.

All these benefits have specific criteria surrounding length of service and type of duty, so it's always best to speak directly with a military education specialist or recruiter to ensure all details are carefully considered.

In addition to these direct funding options, being in the military also qualifies you for various scholarships targeted to service members and veterans. The service branches and many private organizations offer these.

Lastly, while the military can offer substantial financial aid, eligibility criteria and coverage levels do vary, so not all costs might be covered. In those cases, you might need to seek out additional funding sources like federal student aid, work-study, or private loans. Keep in mind that you can also use any military benefits in conjunction with other forms of student aid.