If you want to go to college but find that you cannot afford to fund your education on your own, you can opt to join the Navy, or better yet qualify for the Navy SEALs if you can. The Navy encourages the pursuit of higher learning and it has set up programs to help its enlisted personnel get a college degree.
Deciding to join the Navy in order to go to college can be a good option in light of the increasingly exorbitant cost of higher education these days. There are usually two options open to high school seniors who want to go to college. One is to compete for various scholarships while the other is to apply for a student loan.
However, these two options both have obvious setbacks. With college scholarships, the competition is very tough and the slots are usually limited. Your scholarship can also be pulled out if you fail to meet the requirements or if the funding source suddenly runs out of money to support you. With student loans, you will have to face debt as soon as you graduate, and it can take you around ten years to pay off that debt.
Join the Navy Before You Go to College
If you cannot afford to go to college right after your high school graduation, you can join the Navy or even qualify for the Navy SEALs if you can. The Navy has scholarships and education plans that you can take advantage of. Some of these are:
1. NROTC and BDCP. The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) and the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program (BDCP) are two educational programs in the Navy where recruits can go to college and focus on their studies without having to worry about serving with the Navy. Tuition, allowances and living expenses are covered. Upon graduation, the recruits are commissioned as officers of the Navy.
2. The Montgomery G.I. Bill and Navy College Fund. With the Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB), you can get an educational benefit after completing your active duty. A reduction of $100 from your monthly pay with the Navy can yield around $36,000 in education benefits. Also, if you score 50 or better on your ASVAB and qualify for Navy apprenticeship, you can get an additional $15,000 on top of what you can get from the MGIB as part of the Navy College Fund.
Join the Navy After You Go to College
If you are dreading the fact that you will have to pay an enormous amount in student loans after you graduate from college, you can join the Navy and avail of their educational assistance program. Under the Navy’s Loan Repayment Program, eligible enlisted personnel can receive up to $65,000 to help pay for student loans.
In return for this assistance, you will serve with the Navy for a number of years. This in itself can be advantageous to you because you will get a lot of hands-on training and experience that can prove invaluable to you when you decide to leave the Navy after your time of active duty.
If you want to go to college but cannot find the means to fund your college education, you can join the Navy or even qualify for the Navy SEALs if you can. With the educational programs that the Navy offers its enlisted personnel, you will have a lot of options for your college education later on.
This Article is written by James Kara Murat
