Military Services That Pay For College

Which military services actually pay for college? I'm currently weighing my options and am trying to gather as much information as I can. Anyone has any ideas or experiences to share?

All branches of the U.S. military provide some form of educational assistance, but the amount and specific benefits can vary. Here are a few educational benefits offered by various branches:

1. Army: The Army offers several options for tuition assistance. The most well-known is the Montgomery GI Bill. There are two types: the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) and Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR). The MGIB-AD offers up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans, while the MGIB-SR offers education benefits to members of the Reserve forces who are enrolled in officer training.

2. Navy: The Navy also offers the Montgomery GI Bill, as well as the Post-9/11 GI Bill for service members who have served at least 90 days on active duty since September 10, 2001. In addition, they offer the Tuition Assistance Program which covers up to 100% of tuition fees, not exceeding certain yearly amount.

3. Air Force: The Air Force provides education benefits through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), which offers Associates in Science (A.S.) degrees to enlisted Airmen. The Air Force also provides Tuition Assistance, as well as offering the Montgomery GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill.

4. Marine Corps: The Marines offer the Montgomery GI Bill, the Marine Corps College Fund, the Tuition Assistance program, and a unique program known as MECEP (Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program), which aims to help enlisted Marines become Marine Officers while obtaining their Bachelor’s degree.

5. Coast Guard: In addition to the GI Bill benefits, the Coast Guard also has a unique program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI), which provides tuition and a salary to current college students for two years prior to them attending Officer Candidate School.

6. Space Force, as the newest branch, adopted the Air Force's education model and offers similar benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Tuition Assistance.

There can be service obligations tied to these benefits, and they often require that the service member is honorably discharged or satisfy certain requirements before the benefits come into effect. Remember to verify the specific conditions and requirements of each benefit with your military branch's education services officer.