This is long, but I cannot effectively shorten it. Please bear with me.

I know of a junior and freshman who's family (what there is of it) is in horrible shape. Mom provides loving care but was a junkie until last summer. She has been in jail or rehab continuously since then (not her choice). Now she has a felony and cannot drive for another year. Dad is a dead beat dad. Extremely so. No support at all. He finally moved back to Ohio. Kids are dirt poor.

I am telling you this because I am trying to find a way for them to graduate from college. Junior (male) is smart. Freshman (female) is not as smart but does study and is motivated. Good kids.

They can get a Pell Grant (~$3,000/semester) and a HOPE Scholarship ($1,000/semester). That will cover their college tuition & fees at the junior college for 5 semesters (which is what I think each will need to complete their first two years of college work). However, the 4-year colleges tuition, fees, books, housing, meals, etc. will be around $13K to $14K/semester. I don't think they can even borrow that much money.

I read that 60% of student change their major before they finish.
Also, junior college is much cheaper than 4-year colleges.

As such, I have purposed to them and to their grand-parents this scenario:
= Go to junior college so they can find out what they actually want to major in (or at least lessen the choices)
= Go to junior college until they complete all of their first two years of required college courses
= After completing the first two years of a 4-year program, join the military for four years. I feel that the Air Force or Navy would be the best fit for each. The military pay will be roughly the equivalent of having a 40-hour week job at $10/hr. Plus free medical, dental, and room & board in one way of the other. The military would allow them to save money for a car. They could also take online courses. If they took just one online course a semester, they would knock off at least one semester of a 4-year college program.
= After serving 4 years, they return to TN to attend and finish a 4-year program at the 4-year college of their choice.
= The military would pay essentially all of their tuition and fees at any state university for 4 more years and provide them a housing allowance that varies but probably is at least $1,000/month.
= After graduating, they could use their GI program to attend graduate school and earn their master's degree.

In summary, I have told them that when they are 30, they can have bachelor's and master's degrees, be debt free, and well on their way to a rewarding career in their chosen field.

Or, they could keep going to college, borrow more and more money and end up with no degrees and a huge debt they will never be able to pay off (their mother and her brother are prime examples of this).

Does any of this makes sense? If not, what have I got wrong?
Please help me, help them. Thanks.

IDAGG said:

---

Or have them do what a lot of people do to pay for college. Have them enlist right out of of HS.

Pros:
- When they get out in 3 or 4 years they will WAY more mature than they were at 18. They will be more motivated as well.
- If they watch their expenses all four years of their college would be paid for. They can supplement with part time jobs or take on a small debt load.

Cons:
They may indeed change majors once they spend a year or two in college as you mentioned, and that will be more expensive than changing when at a Junior college.

---

I agree with this, and while on active duty, their college will be free, so when they get out, they may already have an Associates or maybe even a Bachelors degree. Then, they can use their GI Bill to finish up the Bachelors (if they do not already have it) and then work on the Masters when they get out. Shoot, they may even love the military enough to stay in and retire and leave with all the above and have GI Bill money still there for a second Bachelors or Masters.

There are many advantages, and admittedly disadvantages, to going the enlisted route first...but I feel the advantages, for many depending on their individual situation, far outweighs the disadvantages.

The key is choosing the branch that suites them so they dont look at those three or four years as lost years.

New Mexico Military Institute has a 2 year commissioning program. Financial aid available. Graduate and commission as non-deployable until you complete your bachelor's degree basically on the Army. Then you serve your commitment.

Go to basic at Ft Knox after HS graduation, reserves or Guard while at NMMI.

What are the best ways to explore each of the branches?

Are the cadets able to take 2 college courses every semester?

Enlist.

While serving, grow up, save money and use military tuition assistance to pay for a JUCO degree.

Upon completion of service, use savings, college credit for military training courses and GI Bill to finish final two years of bachelor's degree.

I believe this is the most common model for those not choosing to make the military a career.

BENEFITS

I assume you were asking the question to me. NMMI has both a HS and JC. The early commissioning program is through the JC. It's US Army. In 2 years you have your associates degree and commission. You then have 3 years to complete your Bachelor's degree on their dime before serving your commitment.

The service academics prep kids there who need higher grades. Roger Staubach was placed there for a semester by USNA.

The educational benefits you get from enlisting are unreal. AND, if they're a Texas resident when they enlist, they also benefit from the Hazelwood Act. So even if they change majors and run out of GI Bill before completing college, they can utilize the Hazelwood Act to at least get their tuition paid for.

If they're even a little bit smart, they will not buy a brand new car at 25% interest when they get their first paycheck, and instead save save save all the money they can for their time in college, or life in general.

I have a feeling that with the economy the way it is, if things don't rebound quickly, a lot of people will be looking to enlist. The military is already looking at extending enlistments for various time periods due to multiple factors related to COVID and the stream of new recruits. Things could get competitive again.