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Find an Army Friendly School Near You
Learn About colleges near your base
An educated servicemember is a valuable servicemember—in and outside of the Army. Here, find out more about Army-friendly colleges you can attend during your off-duty hours.
Knowledge is power, and in the Army, education can even lead to promotions.
From basic training through retirement, the Army values education and has established many generous education benefits to help make earning a degree within reach.
ARmy benefits
Everyone’s probably heard of the Army’s Money for College program, but the Army offers much more than that. The list below is what I can think of right off the top of my head; expect to see more information added frequently.
Army College Fund and Montgomery GI Bill
The Army offers a maximum of $70,000 for college through the Army College Fund. The ACF supplements the basic Montgomery GI Bill entitlement, which means you must participate in the basic MGIB to receive the ACF. To learn more about both the ACF and MGIB.
College Loan Repayment
Under the college loan repayment program, the Army will repay up to $65,000 of a soldier's qualifying student loans. To learn more about this program.
Tuition Assistance
The Tuition Assistance (TA) Program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a soldier's professional and personal self-development goals.
Job Training
The Army offers over 200 jobs(complete list). Many of these jobs will provide you with valuable work experience that will help you in the civilian world. Employers know the value of Army training and the dedicated service experiences of young men and women.
Pay and Promotions
According to a report released by the Navy Times, Army promotions are faster than any other service. The Navy is second, the Marines are third, followed by the Air Force, and finally the Coast Guard. Though all services are paid the same for their rank, since promotions are faster in the Army, it is possible you could make more money in the Army.
Travel Opportunities
Just like the other services, the Army gives you wonderful opportunities to see the world.
Retirement Income
Serving 20 years in the military entitles you to a monthly retirement income of half the base pay for the pay grade you held at the time of your retirement. For instance, if you retired after 20 years as an E-8, you would receive a monthly payment of half the amount you would normally receive if you were still in the military.
Thrift Savings Plan(TSP)
The Thrift Savings Plan is a federal government sponsored retirement savings and investment plan similiar to a 401K. It gives you several different investment options ranging from fixed income funds(safe with low returns) to stock options, which can give you high returns on your investment, but also present higher risks. For in depth information.
01
Do you meet the requirements?
First of all, you need to pass the requirements to serve in the Army. The enlistment standards covers these subjects: Age, Citizenship, Education, Aptitude, Physical Fitness, Dependency Status, Moral Character, and Homosexual Conduct. To view the enlistment standards.
The enlistment standards doesn’t get specific regarding physical fitness. If you have any questions about the physical fitness standards, feel free to to ask me at the forum. If you want to see the actual document the Army uses for physical fitness standards, you can download the Medical Fitness Standards(660KB). Visit our Army Standards page to see the weight requirements, as well as the physical fitness test requirements.
02
Enlisting with a GED
he Army is not accepting people with a GED in most areas of the country, however, the Army reserves the right to waive certain disqualifications and allow enlistment if deemed in the best interest of the individual and the service. If you will only need a waiver for the GED, it is highly likely that you will be accepted. Please note that when the Army did accept a GED, they were required to score at least 50 on the ASVAB.
There are some drawbacks to enlisting with a GED, such as not being eligible for bonuses. If you have 15 college credit hours under your belt, you will be eligible for bonuses. Also, upon reaching 30 college semester hours, no waiver is needed for the GED.
03
What type of job do you want in the Army?
In my opinion, it’s best to start studying the different jobs available in the Army as soon as possible. Visit our branches & MOS page to view a complete list of military occupational specialties, broken down into their respective branch.
It’s also best if you can get an insider’s perspective of an MOS you are interested in. You can probably find someone who has experience in an MOS you’re interested in at the various Army discussion boards, such as military.com’s forum.
04
Can you enlist with a higher rank right away?
The Army offers several opportunities to enlist in the Army with a higher rank right away, called advanced enlistment. Advanced enlistment is available for people with college credits, civilian experience, and members of the Army’s delayed entry program.
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Talk to an Army recruiter
Your first meeting with an Army recruiter should just be an information gathering session. If you want to bring your parents or a friend, go right ahead and do so. You never know, they may ask some good questions for you that you otherwise might not have thought of. While an Army recruiter can provide you with a great deal of information, they can’t read your mind. They will go over all the basic things you should know, but you definitely need to ask some questions as well. If you are unsure about something the recruiter talked about, ask for some more information. Recruiters like it when you ask questions.
If you feel you have enough information about the Army after the first meeting, you’ll probably want to arrange a date to take the ASVAB military test. This can be done in two ways….you can take the ASVAB while at the military entrance processing station, or at a local testing facility.
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