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You are here: Experts > News/Issues > U.S. Military > Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard > enlisting doubts
Expert: Cynthia Bedell
Date: 5/11/2008
Subject: enlisting doubts
Question
QUESTION: Hi Cynthia,
I am a college graduate interested in joining the army to take advantage of their loan repayment program. The recruiter indicated that the loan repayment program is only available to enlisted so I would be signing up as an enlisted. The thing is I don't know if I'm making the right decision about doing this. I wanted to stay w/ the army for 2 years then return to school to get my Ph.D (hoping that they will pay for that schooling as well) and return back to the army after I graduate to pay off what ever I owe them in student loans but I'm worried I won't have any free time these 2 years in the army if I join. Will I have a 9-5 job? I need free time to prepare for graduate school. I'm confused if I should be doing this. Any suggestion you may have, I appreciate. Thank you.
ANSWER: Dear Lynn --
If all you are interested is the enlistment bonus, paid in the form of loan repayments, then your recruiter is correct, you must enlist. You must also serve a significant period of time in order to get maximum loan repayment.
You have other different options available to you, depending on what your real goal for joining the Army might be, and how much you owe in college laons. Your options also might depend on the degree you have right now. What was your major, and do you have a masters degree or only a bachelors?
If you join the military (enlisted or officer), you can get your loan repayment deferred for up to five years. Then, if you return to college for your Ph.D. you can get a new deferral for the time you are back in school.
So an option could be, you join the Army with an Officer Candidate School (OCS) rider. You defer your loan repayment while you are serving, but save some of your salary to pay the loan when it does come due. Then at your 5 or six year mark in the Army, you apply for advanced civil schooling, and get the Army to pay for your advanced degree.
That is only one option, please write back with your major and the highest degree you have earned, and we can discuss other options, if you are interested.
Good luck to you.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dear Cynthia,
Thank you for your help. The recruiter indicated that the loan repayment program is only available to those joining as enlisted not officers. I have my masters in public health, but he said if I join as an officer, the loan repayment program is not available to me. I'm willing to join as enlisted in order to receive a repayment on my $45000 loan, however, my plan is to begin my Ph.D. schooling in August 2010. I'm worried I won't have free time to prepare for the Jan 2009 exam I have to enter this graduate program. I heard that I will be working l2 hour shifts. Also, I feel confused joining as an enlisted as opposed to an officer, but if I have to join as enlisted to receive the repayment, I will. Thank you so much!
Answer
Dear Lynn --
To get the full amount of $45,000, I believe you will have to enlist for a minimum of four years, but possibly up to six years. That will throw your time table off.
Unless you are very lucky, you will not be in a unit that will give you a lot of time to prepare for your exams. Also, what exams are you taking? If they are your GREs, or MCATs I recommend taking them now, while you are still in the "school and test taking" mode. They will only become more difficult the longer you are away from academia. Both tests "count" for up to five years. If it is your general exam for a Ph.D. program, I also recommend taking it now, and then asking the school to defer your admittance for the number of years you will be serving in the military. Many programs will do that for you.
What I would like you to consider is the pay differential between an enlisted Soldier and an officer. If you save that pay differential, and invest it toward an account you will use to pay off your loans, you may be in much better circumstances in three to five years than you will be taking the enlistment bonus. As an officer, you can apply for a fully funded Ph.D. program, and you can apply to the Uniformed Services Health Services University to become a medical doctor.
I also recommend talking to a medical service corps recruiter (a different recruiting command from regular Army) to see what they have to offer. You could become a physicians assistant or a specialty laboratory technician in the medical service corps, which might suit you better considering your masters degree.
Finally, there are a number of federal agencies that might be interested in recruiting you to serve in the public health and safety arena. These agencies would also pay off your college loans in return for a number of years of federal service.
I recommend these other alternatives because I would not want you to enlist just because you feel it's your only way to get out from under your college loans.
Good luck to you. I hope you find a good path ahead that suits you and allows you to achieve your goals. Please write back, if you would like any other information on anything mentioned here.
Best regards.
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