Take the Money and Just Do It!

** If you know of other schools with similar opportunities please post them as comments. **

There really are a lot of higher level education options to choose from out there. Picking your degree will depend on what you think you want to do when you grow up. But even with the military's requirement to be under a degree plan, you still have up to five classes before they hold you to that requirement. So just get started! You can get both the English courses completed, a basic college level math, and something you might just be interested in learning about. Just get started!

Tuition Assistance (TA) will cover the cost of most undergraduate classes; depending on the school, it'll cover graduate level as well. Typically, you will have to pay for your own books. This isn't as bad as it might seem. There are often fellow students who just had that class and you can get the book at a reduced price; if your friend just had the class, then maybe you can borrow the book. If you take one or two classes a term you should be able to continue going to school throughout the year. If you try to load up your courses, you'll run out of TA money. Your also not putting in enough time on the job if your loaded up with classes. Remember, your being paid to do your job in the military, and TA is a part of your benefits package from your employer. So, first things first, be proficient at your job, and don't let school get in the way of your military duties!

So, back to the money; and here's where I put a plug in for my Alma Mater...

http://www.luonline.com/index.cfm?PID=14263

Liberty University takes very good care of the military member. At the graduate level, they only charge the TA amount. Think about it, a fully accredited university providing education towards a Masters Degree, and all you pay for is the books! My fellow Warriors, you just can't beat that deal!

But wait a minute, it gets better. At the undergraduate level, those working towards an Associates or Bachelors Degree, Liberty also provides a "book voucher"! Depending on the expense of the book, that's like going to school for almost free. I really don't know how many other schools can beat that deal, but I know there certainly can't be many; and with everyone in a financial crunch and raising costs or cutting benefits, Liberty has stayed the course.

Am I biased towards my University? Probably. But it's also my job to look out for my people, and Shipmates, let me tell you, you really need to look into this and see if it doesn't suit your needs.

If all that doesn't grab you, then take a look at this link http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=18872. What other University goes out of their way to help the military spouse as well?

If I haven't lost you, then here's one more tidbit on money. There's this thing called a Pell Grant. http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html If your family size and income fit their parameters, then they will send you money. So, let's do a little math here, ok? The military will pay for your class, then the government will give you more money on top of that to cover things like child care, etc.

In other words: TA + Pell Grant = Free Education!

So, what are you waiting for? Get back to school!

** If you know of other schools with similar opportunities please post them as comments. **

More to follow...