College Loan Repayment
The Army’s College Loan Repayment program allows you to pay off your federally insured student loans when you enlist in the Army in a qualifying job. To be eligible, you must enlist for three years on Active Duty or six years in the Army Reserve, and your loan status must not be in default. For Active Duty Soldiers, you can receive up to $65,000 to repay your college loans. For Army Reserve Soldiers, you can receive up to $20,000 to repay your college loans. The following loans qualify for the Army’s loan repayment program:
– Auxiliary Loan Assistance for Students (ALAS)
– Stafford Student Loan, formerly know as the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL)
– Parents Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Must be incurred for the use of the individual contracting for the program (not others such as relatives)
– Consolidated Loan Program. Only covers Soldier’s education expenses
– Federally Insured Student Loans (FISL)
– Perkins Loan, formerly known as the National Direct Student Loan (NDSL)
– Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
Army College Fund
The Army College Fund (ACF) is an enlistment incentive option designed to aid in the recruitment of highly qualified soldiers for critical or shortage Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). The ACF supplements the basic Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) entitlement, and awards up to $50,000 in education benefits to those engaged in such critical specialities.
To take advantage of this program, you must enlist for the GI Bill and ACF option. To participate, you must meet MGIB eligibility criteria, have an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score of 50 or above, be a high school diploma graduate prior to entry on active duty, and enlist for a qualifying military occupational specialty (MOS). Benefits will vary depending on your enlistment term.
Montgomery GI Bill
The Veterans Administration’s Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) is an educational benefit program for active duty personnel in the Army and the Reserves. For more detail, click here.
Or, have you ever considered ROTC?