How does it work to go into the Air Force Reserves to help with college?

[Tap]

DD19's boyfriend plans to become a doctor.  He qualifies for scholarships at the local state school, but is interested in the military and has talked to recruiters.  One big thing the recruiter seem to be pushing is going into the Air Force Reserves now while he is in college (instead of waiting until he finishes his BS and then going in). 

 

I know nothing about how all this works and I would like to understand it all better.  

 

He is finishing his first year of college right now, and from what I understand from DD, he is thinking about joining in time for boot camp this summer.

 

Can you please explain how this works to me?  My brother was Navy, but he went in and back out in 4 years during the 80s Iran-Iraq war.  He was gone for 4 years, came home for a couple of visits and then he was done. He went in because he was getting in trouble and it was an option the judge gave him.  He wasn't planning a military career.  The only other other military people in my family were drafted during the Vietnam War.

[EmseB]

He needs to talk to a medical recruiter specifically, at the very least an officer recruiter.

 

Do not talk to an enlisted recruiter about becoming a doctor via military service.  No, no, no.  That recruiter that's pushing the reserves is not trying to help the boyfriend become a doctor or further his goals. He's trying to make a quota.

[eagleynne]

I'm no expert on the various military education programs, but I did find this webpage: https://www.military.com/education/money-for-school/reserve-tuition-assistance.html

 

It seems to me that he should also consider ROTC if it's available, it sounds like it might be a better option. https://www.afrotc.com/about

[maize]

He should definitely look into ROTC.

[maize]

The recruiter's job is to get people to enlist.

 

Not to work out the best path for this young man.

[gardenmom5]

just one thing to remember about recruiters - they have quotas!  some are NOT ethical in what they say and will make empty promises.  never take a recruiters word for anything - get it in writing. (and make sure they have the authorization to make those promises.) going that route and trying to do college can be difficult because you get moved, then you have to find a new college.  it took my brother a long time to graduate because he went that route, and did a lot of repeating.

 

if he can get admitted/scholarships into a decent college without any problem - absolutely! he should be looking at ROTC.  they'll pay him to go to college full time - and he'll be an officer when he graduates.  they can even pay for him to go to medical school.  then he'll serve in the military as a dr for a set period when he's done.

an acquaintance's son-in-law took that route.  he became a thoracic surgeon and the army paid for it.

 

eta: I would be surprised if your state school didn't have a ROTC program.

Edited January 4, 2018 by gardenmom5

[wendy not in HI]

I don't know anything about the reserves, but my husband is in the Air Force and my dd and her husband are both doing Air Force ROTC -

 

Most people don't realize that most of the kids in ROTC

do NOT have college paid for by the military. ROTC scholarships are highly competitive. Second year cadets' scholarships are even tougher to get than high school scholarships, and he would be up against those who have been participating in the program all year. If he thinks this is something that interests him he needs to look into it asap - it may already be too late to apply for fall tuition scholarships, and it is a whole big process involving interviews, PT test, and a physical.

 

Also, Air Force ROTC scholarships generally just cover tuition and a tiny stipend. Room and board can be more expensive than tuition. (Army ROTC generally covers either room/board or tuition, not both.) College is not cheap.

 

If a student is serious about medical school, ROTC is often NOT the best path to take. It is usually easier to get into the military medical school without doing ROTC. ROTC students have to apply for a waiver to even apply for medical school, and then also get in to medical school, and then hope that there are medical slots available to your ROTC graduation group... There are lots of discussion about ROTC and medical school if you have time to google it.

 

Sorry to be a downer! Just really help him research the fine print before he makes any commitment to the reserves. The military can be an excellent way to pay for an education, but the details change frequently based on the needs of the military - just because a neighbor's grandchild got his school paid for two years ago doesn't mean the same benefits are currently available...

 

Off we go...

Edited January 4, 2018 by wendy not in HI

[Tap]

He needs to talk to a medical recruiter specifically, at the very least an officer recruiter.

 

Do not talk to an enlisted recruiter about becoming a doctor via military service.  No, no, no.  That recruiter that's pushing the reserves is not trying to help the boyfriend become a doctor or further his goals. He's trying to make a quota.

This is what I am afraid of. I will ask dd if he talked to a regular recruiter or a medical/ officer recruiter.

 

She doesn't have a lot of details, but what she is saying doesn't seem right to me.  But, like I mentioned in the OP I know almost zero about the military and what I do know is very different situations and eras

 

Thank You for sharing what you know. 

[Tap]

I'm no expert on the various military education programs, but I did find this webpage: https://www.military.com/education/money-for-school/reserve-tuition-assistance.html

 

It seems to me that he should also consider ROTC if it's available, it sounds like it might be a better option. https://www.afrotc.com/about

 

 

He should definitely look into ROTC.

I checked and the college he is at does have ROTC so I will mention it to dd19.  He was a jock/academic in highschool and was part of that clique..  The high school JROTC kids are a very different group and are not looked at favorably by the clique he was part of.  I am not sure if he is far enough out of high school or mature enough to get over this or not. Hopefully if dd19 brings it up as something to look into he will take her seriously.

 

Thank You for the idea.

 

(Edited for clarity)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Tap

[Tap]

I don't know anything about the reserves, but my husband is in the Air Force and my dd and her husband are both doing Air Force ROTC -

 

Most people don't realize that most of the kids in ROTC

do NOT have college paid for by the military. ROTC scholarships are highly competitive. Second year cadets' scholarships are even tougher to get than high school scholarships, and he would be up against those who have been participating in the program all year. If he thinks this is something that interests him he needs to look into it asap - it may already be too late to apply for fall tuition scholarships, and it is a whole big process involving interviews, PT test, and a physical.

 

Also, Air Force ROTC scholarships generally just cover tuition and a tiny stipend. Room and board can be more expensive than tuition. (Army ROTC generally covers either room/board or tuition, not both.) College is not cheap.

 

If a student is serious about medical school, ROTC is often NOT the best path to take. It is usually easier to get into the military medical school without doing ROTC. ROTC students have to apply for a waiver to even apply for medical school, and then also get in to medical school, and then hope that there are medical slots available to your ROTC graduation group... There are lots of discussion about ROTC and medical school if you have time to google it.

 

Sorry to be a downer! Just really help him research the fine print before he makes any commitment to the reserves. The military can be an excellent way to pay for an education, but the details change frequently based on the needs of the military - just because a neighbor's grandchild got his school paid for two years ago doesn't mean the same benefits are currently available...

 

Off we go...

Thank you for sharing this. I will mention ROTC to my daughter and see if he has at least looked into it.  It won't hurt to have all the options presented to him. He has scholarships already, so he doesn't need his undergrad paid for. (Part of why I am confused about him looking at the reserves to pay for college)  He was president of the honor society in highschool,  graduated with a 4pt (their school doesn't go higher or it would be) has several AP credits, and multiple high school department honors. He was a varsity athlete and has a lot going for him.  I can see why the recruiter is after him, but something doesn't seem quite right to me with his goals and the reserve path he is talking about.  I very, very well could be wrong but my mom radar is going off full force on this one. Thanks for the advice. He doesn't like me, so I can't say anything negative to him or he will take it as me being critical of him.  I will see if I can nudge dd into encouraging him to investigate some more. 

[wendy not in HI]

High school JROTC and college ROTC kids are not the same thing at all. Most rotc kids did not do jrotc in high school. Not really even related.

 

Jock/academics is exactly how I would describe college ROTC kids. My dd did not do JROTC in high school - she was a 4.0+ student who placed in state track events and was recruited to pole vault in college. These are highly motivated, smart kids who work out more than you can imagine, at 6am...

[Crimson Wife]

 If a student is serious about medical school, ROTC is often NOT the best path to take. It is usually easier to get into the military medical school without doing ROTC. ROTC students have to apply for a waiver to even apply for medical school, and then also get in to medical school, and then hope that there are medical slots available to your ROTC graduation group... There are lots of discussion about ROTC and medical school if you have time to google it.

 

I agree with this. If a student does ROTC, he/she should plan on spending 4+ years active duty and THEN going to grad school. My DH was lied to by the ROTC recruiter and told that he could choose to do 8 years in the Reserves. He even had a slot lined in a Reserves military intelligence battalion but then somebody at the Pentagon assigned him to an Active Duty tank battalion (it's called "branch detailing"). Then after his 4 years were up and he was supposed to leave active duty to start grad school, the Army put him on "stop loss" and kept him an extra year.

 

Doing ROTC was still worth it because they paid for the bulk of his Stanford tuition and he never would've been able to afford it otherwise. But it wasn't quite as sweet a deal as he'd been sold as a senior in high school.

[Crimson Wife]

 Jock/academics is exactly how I would describe college ROTC kids. My dd did not do JROTC in high school - she was a 4.0+ student who placed in state track events and was recruited to pole vault in college. These are highly motivated, smart kids who work out more than you can imagine, at 6am...

 

Yes, this. My DH was valedictorian of his high school class and had been the school QB until he had knee surgery his sophomore year.

 

[EmseB]

If he has scholarships already, I'd have him wait and do this for med school, IF he's still thinking about the military at that time.

 

http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/Media-Center/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/425437/hpsp-fact-sheet/

 

There is, by the way, nothing wrong with wanting to enlist, go to boot camp and serve that way. Some people do the reserves while in college.  BUT you have to know what you're getting into. If you want to be a doctor and get the military to pay for that, enlisting in the reserves in the middle of college when one already has scholarships, to me, would not be the way to go. But he may have his eyes wide open and know his options already and have decided on this path.

[Starr]

Is your dd comfortable with him serving in the armed forces, being deployed, life plan in connection with the way the service actually works? The young people i know who have gone this route and been happy have had a clear understanding of the ins and outs of rotc or have taken a high ranking officer with them to talk to the recruiter. I also know of others who did not get a scholarship . And one who was sick during basic training and lost their scholarship.

[Tap]

Is your dd comfortable with him serving in the armed forces, being deployed, life plan in connection with the way the service actually works? The young people i know who have gone this route and been happy have had a clear understanding of the ins and outs of rotc or have taken a high ranking officer with them to talk to the recruiter. I also know of others who did not get a scholarship . And one who was sick during basic training and lost their scholarship.

This is part of what bothers me about the situation.  I don't even think a parent has been involved. I think he is trying to do this all on his own.  When I asked dd19 what his father thinks of him him joining the military, she told me she isn't sure he even knows about it.  DD19 and her boyfriend live with the father and the boy/father are close emotionally.  So, I know he has had a chance to talk to his father about it....it just doesn't sound like he has. 

 

 

I think the boyfriend may be a bit too trusting of this recruiter. But I can't say anything because he will take it the wrong way. 

 

 

DD is very positive about him joining. She thinks it is the right path for him. She is planning to stay here and finish her BS at this point.  She is not planning to follow him until after that and if/when they get married.  She has a serious health issue and can't live on her own.  She will have to either be near home for me to take care of her, or have him home almost every night.  She knows she will miss him and that they have a high level of trust between them right now. I know she will love the chance to see different parts of the world if they do get married, but I am not sure if she can handle the military life style with her health issues.  Stress makes it worse, and I don't foresee being a military wife, without a higher than normal level of stress. 

 

I had a long distance boyfriend for 3.5 year at her age while we were both in college.  Then my husband traveled for work for many years and was gone 5 days a week. To me, while those are similar to being a military wife, they don't have the added stress of worrying about the health and safety of my spouse.Plus I got to see him every week  AND at anytime, my spouse could have left the job and returned home.  So, while it was similar....it was also sooooooo very different and not where near the same level of stress/independence.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Tap

[Kim in Appalachia]

I don't know anything about the reserves, but my husband is in the Air Force and my dd and her husband are both doing Air Force ROTC -

 

Most people don't realize that most of the kids in ROTC

do NOT have college paid for by the military. ROTC scholarships are highly competitive. Second year cadets' scholarships are even tougher to get than high school scholarships, and he would be up against those who have been participating in the program all year. If he thinks this is something that interests him he needs to look into it asap - it may already be too late to apply for fall tuition scholarships, and it is a whole big process involving interviews, PT test, and a physical.

 

Also, Air Force ROTC scholarships generally just cover tuition and a tiny stipend. Room and board can be more expensive than tuition. (Army ROTC generally covers either room/board or tuition, not both.) College is not cheap.

 

If a student is serious about medical school, ROTC is often NOT the best path to take. It is usually easier to get into the military medical school without doing ROTC. ROTC students have to apply for a waiver to even apply for medical school, and then also get in to medical school, and then hope that there are medical slots available to your ROTC graduation group... There are lots of discussion about ROTC and medical school if you have time to google it.

 

Sorry to be a downer! Just really help him research the fine print before he makes any commitment to the reserves. The military can be an excellent way to pay for an education, but the details change frequently based on the needs of the military - just because a neighbor's grandchild got his school paid for two years ago doesn't mean the same benefits are currently available...

 

Off we go...

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

When my dh was in med school the different military programs came around to recruit for the med school grads.  They each mentioned how being in before graduating med school was not easy.  It's much better to be in med school first.

 

My dh did the Health Corps instead of the military, but from friends who did it, the Air Force was a best option.  Though we had a friend who did army and she was happy with her experience.

 

The military paid off their med school loans.  I'm not sure on the exact dollar amount. 

[G5052]

As others have said, make sure that everything is carefully examined and considered. If he is planning summer bootcamp, it's better to sign up earlier rather than later. Sometimes the slots fill up earlier than you would think.

 

Mine isn't planning on a medical field and wants civilian employment after college, but the Army National Guard offered better educational benefits because the state also kicks in tuition assistance. We got a lot of good advice and feel like the recruiter was honest and helpful. He didn't get  his first choice MOS (career path) because January is a prime time for people going, but he's happy with what he got. The timing works. He's leaving later this month and will be home in July after doing both basic and his career training.  Then he'll be back in college in August.

[MedicMom]

My sister’s husband is career military. He did ROTC. With what you’ve posted about your DD’s health condition, I would not at all recommend marrying someone in the military. My sister has found their insurance very difficult to deal with, plus you live where they tell you, it may not be anywhere near decent medical care, and even if he’s not deployed, he is not likely to be home every night. If she needs that much care, has she considered how she will manage while he’s in residency? Even without the military, a doctor’s lifestyle is not conducive to a family that needs consistent help at home.

[MedicMom]

By the way, I have Ehler-Danlos. While it’s a new diagnosis the problems it’s caused are not new. My husband is not interested in being a caregiver, but even if he was, his job would not allow it. He’s a paramedic as well, and he can’t just come home when I’m too tired to do anything or my back siezes up or I fall and sprain yet another joint. If we didn’t choose to live near family it would have been a huge problem for us. I honestly can’t remember what your DD has, but if it something that is truly going to need a lot of outside support, she needs to take all of that into consideration. Had I known that all those weird things were EDS, and not just a fluke, I would have reconsidered marrying someone who doesn’t have a 9-5 job.

[Lanny]

I took a quick look at some of the replies and agree with everyone else that this needs to be researched, thoroughly.  One of my cousins, an eminent (mostly retired) M.D. in his specialty, occasionally attaches his full "Signature File" to an email he sends to me.  Among the information is that he was in the U.S. Marine Corps.  

 

What I don't know is whether or not he was in Navy ROTC when he was in Undergraduate school, whether or not the military paid for any of his schooling, etc. And that was many years ago. 

 

I suspect there are incentive programs for M.D.s, but I don't know where you can get information about those.

 

[Tree Frog]

My dd is graduating this spring and will be attending med school this summer. She didn't have any financial help from the military during her under grad, but she has applied for a Navy scholarship that will pay all her med school expenses and require a few extra years in the Navy. There are such scholarships in Air Force and Army, too, but she liked the medical recruiter better with the Navy. (I think she may also have wanted to not be in the AF because her dad was in it and she's been seeking some degree of separation from us.) The Navy scholarship's quota wasn't filled last year and likely won't be filled this year, so it's quite likely dd will be accepted. Something like this may be a better option for your dd's bf. There are other military programs offered, too, for top med school candidates.

 

DH was an AF ROTC commander several years ago. He was allowed to give out only 2 scholarships annually. The upperclass students who had been commissioned were given a stipend of $400 monthly. I can confirm with dh when he gets home, but I wouldn't recommend using a recruiter unless he has no other options to pay for college. The primary focus will be on his job and his schooling will have to work around that, which could cause complications.

 

ETA: The link previously given for HPSP is the AF version of what dd is planning to do.

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2018 by wilrunner

[EmseB]

My sister’s husband is career military. He did ROTC. With what you’ve posted about your DD’s health condition, I would not at all recommend marrying someone in the military. My sister has found their insurance very difficult to deal with, plus you live where they tell you, it may not be anywhere near decent medical care, and even if he’s not deployed, he is not likely to be home every night. If she needs that much care, has she considered how she will manage while he’s in residency? Even without the military, a doctor’s lifestyle is not conducive to a family that needs consistent help at home.

 

This is waaaay down the road, but the military has a program called EFMP (exceptional family member). It means that a dependent of the military member has significant medical needs and need to be stationed near a military hospital or area with adequate medical facilities. If a military member gets selected for overseas duty, the whole family has to get screened. If a family member has an illness or condition that cannot be treated at the military medical facilities overseas (or wherever they get stationed), then the member can't/won't get orders there.  If you have family member in EFMP then it really restricts where the family can be stationed and/or it means that tours overseas become unaccompanied (the military member goes by themselves while the family stays behind, usually for a year or so).

 

Since they are not married right now, a recruiter isn't going to be concerned with all of this and it probably won't come up at all prior to enlisting. And of course nothing prevents them from getting married after he is in the military. BUT a spouse or child with a significant medical condition will affect his career in some form or fashion later on.

[Tap]

My sister’s husband is career military. He did ROTC. With what you’ve posted about your DD’s health condition, I would not at all recommend marrying someone in the military. My sister has found their insurance very difficult to deal with, plus you live where they tell you, it may not be anywhere near decent medical care, and even if he’s not deployed, he is not likely to be home every night. If she needs that much care, has she considered how she will manage while he’s in residency? Even without the military, a doctor’s lifestyle is not conducive to a family that needs consistent help at home.

 

 

By the way, I have Ehler-Danlos. While it’s a new diagnosis the problems it’s caused are not new. My husband is not interested in being a caregiver, but even if he was, his job would not allow it. He’s a paramedic as well, and he can’t just come home when I’m too tired to do anything or my back siezes up or I fall and sprain yet another joint. If we didn’t choose to live near family it would have been a huge problem for us. I honestly can’t remember what your DD has, but if it something that is truly going to need a lot of outside support, she needs to take all of that into consideration. Had I known that all those weird things were EDS, and not just a fluke, I would have reconsidered marrying someone who doesn’t have a 9-5 job.

I completely agree.

 

We have talked around this a bit, but not directly.  

 

She has POTS and an undefined connective tissue disorder (not ED).  She has chronic fatigue and chronic pain.  She is managing the best she can, but I still see her overall health declining month by month.  I suspect she will end up on disability unless her health POTS goes into remission.  She is going to college part time (10 credits or so) and while she had to quit her grocery store job that she loved (being on her feet for 4+ hours a day) she is starting a new job Saturday as a receptionist in our Chiropractors office.  He is paying her $15/hr, so while it is just 4 hours on Saturdays it is enough for a bit of spending money and feels like she is doing something for work.  2 years ago her POTS was manageable. She was an honor student, considering med school. She was a 2 sport athlete and loved hard workouts. She ran the fastest mile of all her  40+teammates.  2 years ago, she was very active in school and with friends, worked part time and was very happy.  Now she can barely handle online classes, walking a mile is exhausting and we aren't sure if she can even handle this 4 hour, sitting down job.   More organs are being affected and she is declining rapidly. We have no idea what the next year will bring, but she has already said if she needs a wheelchair, its going to be pink. LOL   While she sees where she is headed, she is also hopeful that with proper care and diagnosis she can manage better than she is now.  She got a port put in her chest last spring and does daily IV saline treatments. She takes supplements and medications to manage symptoms and overall health. She is seeing a GI specialist today for a new chronic issue that started this summer. 

 

So far her boyfriend has only known her sick.  He didn't know the person she was before and while he came into this at the beginning of the downward spiral, he has stuck it out and taken excellent care of her. I don't think many teenage boys would do that, if they weren't truly in love. I think that love will see them through a lot, but as an adult, I also know it can only go so far.   I worry, that once he is out of the situation (boot camp/deployed) , that he will realize how much he sacrifices to be with her.  And that, may change their relationship permanently. IYKWIM.  

 

I asked her about all of this in a  roundabout way.

 

She says, that when they met and over the past year, they both made 4 year plans of finishing their BS.  (They are both science majors)  Then he would look at med school or military.  I thought that was a good plan because it kept them here local (they live 5 minutes up the road) and kept them both moving towards their goals together (wayyyy easier to be with someone who has similar goals).  Just this past month, the goal has shifted and now he is talking about reserves and then med school.  She says they have agreed to go ahead with their individual goals and she is not changing hers to match his.  He plan is to still stay here and get her 4 year degree, even if he goes somewhere else.  She knows she absolutely has to stay near a major city with major hospitals due to her health.  They know he won't get to make those choices.

 

I see that they are handling it fairly well.  I think they are talking marriage, but not right now. They know they can not be self sufficient and I won't continue to support her financially if she is married. I will help with school not matter what, but not every day expenses. (I currently give her $300-350 a month for food/gas etc).  So far he has worked summers for his father and then doesn't work the school year, just using the summer earnings throughout the year. He has talked about a part time job, but so far hasn't done it.  I think the reserves is an off shoot of thinking he needs to consider  job currently.  To me, it is a major commitment that while it can help to move him forward in his military goals, it isn't the best move for long term, becoming a doctor goals. 

 

Before they got together, she and I had talked about me moving with her for college. I work for a huge company and can transfer to most major cities/college towns in the USA.  That way I could help pay her living expenses while in school and help with her health care too.  Problem is....her boyfriend doesn't like me.  So, that plan doesn't work any longer if she is with him. Even if he is deployed and comes back periodically, he isn't going to want to come back and live with someone he dislikes until he gets deployed again. (or how ever it works for med students/ doctors in the military)  UGhh..  It is all so complicated!!!

Edited January 4, 2018 by Tap

[Crimson Wife]

If he has scholarships already, I'd have him wait and do this for med school, IF he's still thinking about the military at that time.

 

http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/Media-Center/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/425437/hpsp-fact-sheet/

 

There is, by the way, nothing wrong with wanting to enlist, go to boot camp and serve that way. Some people do the reserves while in college.  BUT you have to know what you're getting into. If you want to be a doctor and get the military to pay for that, enlisting in the reserves in the middle of college when one already has scholarships, to me, would not be the way to go. But he may have his eyes wide open and know his options already and have decided on this path.

 

If he could get a slot as a medic, then Reserves might be a good way to get "hands-on" healthcare experience for his med school application. Med school is very competitive and those who have relevant work or volunteer experience have a better shot.

 

[G5052]

If he could get a slot as a medic, then Reserves might be a good way to get "hands-on" healthcare experience for his med school application. Med school is very competitive and those who have relevant work or volunteer experience have a better shot.

 

 

Yes, I had the same thought. A friend of mine's daughter joined the Army National Guard in the fall as a medic with the goal of getting Army med school support. As I said earlier, the Guard provides more college support than the Reserves, and you're more likely to get a local slot for your weekends with the Guard than the Reserves. My oldest will have a 30-minute commute to his unit, versus 3 1/2 hours to the nearest Reserve Unit that had his MOS. There are fewer Reserve units than Guard units.

 

The rules for deploying Guard units are different than the Reserves. The trend has been to deploy them less than before, but they still go. A relative of ours is in the Guard and leaving sometime this spring for a year's deployment.

[sassenach]

Based on your previous posts about this guy, 1) I think you should stay out of it before he catches wind that you’re doubting his choices, 2) it may be a very good thing for him to be gone for awhile.

[Lanny]

PLEASE NOTE that the below URL does not end in .GOV   However, it may be a basic place to begin looking for information:

 

https://www.military.com/education/money-for-school/reserve-tuition-assistance.html

 

I seem to recall one or more people here with DC in the Wyoming National Guard that apparently has quite an attractive educational assistance program.  Possibly other states also have attractive programs for National Guard and AIr National Guard members.

[Tap]

Based on your previous posts about this guy, 1) I think you should stay out of it before he catches wind that you’re doubting his choices, 2) it may be a very good thing for him to be gone for awhile.

LOL Yep, on both points. 

 

For dd's sake, if they do stay together, it is in her best interest to make sure he is making a wise choice.  DD and I were talking yesterday and I mentioned the situation to her. I just said that I asked my online friends what their experiences are with AF reserves (she is used to me asking questions here). I suggested that he look into ROTC and mentioned that there are different types of recruiters so he may want to look into that.  Not that his plan is a bad plan, just to make sure he has all the options laid out for him to choose  from.

 

She recently has an experience with a college financial aid person making it seem like her college would be free, but she wouldn't know until a month into the term.  She wouldn't find out until after she was committed for $8000 and a month into classes.  I went with her to talk more to this person and found out that she likely wouldn't qualify.  They were basing family income numbers on having 2 kids in college, and while her brother is working on his masters, his college doesn't take FAFSA so it doesn't count for the calculation they were using.  The university has a 'need based grant' that uses income and family members as a ratio to calculate. College students are counted at double value.  DD19 didn't know to explain that he isn't in a traditional college and the college didn't know to ask her.  DS is doing a state accredited Masters in Pastoral Ministry through his church's conference  (not LDS) .

 

I was able to use her experience to illustrated that the recruiters may be being honest, but that they are trying to fill a quota.  Just like the university, if something goes awry from the 'typical progression of events' then it could cost them both time and money in the long run.  For her, this particular college was her first choice and she was going to just take a chance and believe them.  I was able to convince her to look at another local college and after that meeting, she agreed that it was a much better decision and she now plans to attend this 2nd college for a couple of years to finish her AA before transferring back to the  first college for her BS.  Even though her answer seemed clear at the time, getting more information completely changed her direction and as a result she is getting her AA for about $1000  total(scholarshiped the rest)....instead of $8000 a term!

Edited January 5, 2018 by Tap