Military and degree?

Question

Do you guys think it truly is possible to walk out of, let's say the navy, with an associates degree that you get while still on service as the recruiters say? How will you have time to go to college? I am looking into being a cop after the forces by the way, and they require 60 credits, which the recruiters say can be earned while you serve, at a local college? Sound possible to you? Anyone out there that knows for sure? Maybe done it?

Answer 1

It is possible, but you have to me truly motivated and be able to budget yourt time. You are right. The PA state police want 60 credit hours.

Many major bases have a branch of a local college or university right on base.

Answer 2

i'm active duty army and going to college. like TedEX said, you just have to budget your time very well. everyone i know is taking some kind of college course. most military installations have a college or two located on the base/post that you can attend. or you can go to a local college or do online courses. just depends on the degree you want. and the military pays for it all as long as you're active duty (via TA aka Tuition Assistance). if you wait until you get out, the GI Bill only pays you for 36 months worth of college. so, take advantage of the TA program while you're in. it's great. i already have my associates and working towards my bachelors.

anyway, it's possible to get a degree while serving in the military. you might be only able to take one or two courses at a time, but hey, at least you're taking them.

Answer 3

you can attend college while being active duty

and it's totally paid by the military.

they, in the military, work like civilians everyday, start at 6am and end at 4pm, after that your time is free and you can take college classes from let's say 5pm to 9pm, time may vary. If you're being deployed while attending classes, your education will "freeze" at where it left and you will continue when you get back.

Answer 4

doable? absolutely..but it all depends on YOU and how well you can manage your time.  

Answer 5

I completed 20 years in the Navy.

I was never a recruiter.

I served on board subs for 14 years, and I did 6 years of LEO work.

During my career I completed an A.S., a B.S. and a M.A. degree.

It is possible and the Navy will pay for most of it.

Answer 6

Yes, it is very possible.  I have earned 119 credits while on Active Duty in the Army over the past 8.5 years, without doing any work outside of duty hours.  I think I have earned an associates degree, but I need to send my transcripts in to find out.

45 hrs - AIT (A-school for you Navy types)

9 hrs - PLDC (Sergeant's School)

9 hrs - Recruiter School

32 hrs - Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course

12 hrs - classroom instruction through School Option

12 hrs - CLEP tests

All but 18 of those credits are on actual college transcripts.

This is better than normal, but not freakishly so.  I have a friend who finished his Master's Degree while on Active Duty as a Sergeant.

If your job training does not hook you up like mine did, you will have to be sure that you set aside time to go to class, do homework, etc.

The Navy does a good job of having classes available on ship, from what I've heard.

I also have friends who took online classes while deployed in Iraq in the Army.

edit:  

While you are on Active Duty, 100% of your tuition is paid for by the service (regardless of branch).  This does not affect your Montgomery GI Bill college benefits ($47,000 and climbing) when you get out.  All you have to worry about is books, and gas to get to class.

Answer 7

I'm guessing it's a lot easier said than done. I go to community college and have 4 veterans in one of my classes, and a discussion came up about the G.I. Bill and the ones in the National Guard got more coverage than the guys in the army, and according to them (all of them), the bill doesn't completely cover tuition, and doesn't help at all w/ other expenses like books, lab fees, etc.

Sorry if this is news to you, but I'm tryin to keep it real. There is still a good amount of expenses that are paid for.