<p>Hi, I was just wondering how the military pays for college. I was thinking about going to Arizona State, but the OOS is too steep. I was wondering if I can go to ASU for 4 years, then do the service thing. I honeslty have no idea how the Air Force program works or what I would have to do. If anyone could provide me with some info that would be great. Thank you.</p>
<p>If you enlist in the military, I believe it is done the opposite way of your posting. First you do the military service and then you go to college. I am not sure how ROTC works.</p>
<p>You compete for ROTC like an independent scholarship and have to also gain admission to a school. You then have a required number of years in which you serve in the military.</p>
<p>Not all ROTC participants are required to serve. Some students participate in ROTC not on scholarship and are under no obligation to serve on active duty. Further, some students elect to serve in the Reserves or National Guard and are not as likely to be called to active duty, thought the war in Iraq proved otherwise.</p>
<p>But there are several choices. One, attending a service academy (West Point, Coast Guard Academy, USNA, AirForce Academy), which is 100% on scholarship and requires service in the military or coast guard.</p>
<p>Or, you can attend The Citadel or Norwich or VMI, all of which are military style colleges. You are not required to serve upon graduation, but about 90% do serve. </p>
<p>If you take an ROTC scholarship at a participating univeristy, such as Arizona State, then you must serve to repay that scholarship.</p>
<p>If you want to do college first then service, not the other way around, then the path would be through a service academy or ROTC. You don’t go to college then enter the service expecting them to pay your bills in arrears.</p>
<p>Naval ROTC pays up to $180K for college. You are commissioned as a naval officer and serve a minimum of 5 years after graduation.</p>
<p>You can get free tuition, books, and a stipend through ROTC scholarships (either 3 or 4 year) and your service commitment is then 4 years active duty and 2 years in the reserves. At least that is how it used to be. You take military science courses (usually 1 per semester) and also have to go through required summer training, as well as drills and so forth while in school. Its a very good deal, but of course you have to commit to the service if you take the money. So you better be pretty committed to a military career at least in the short run. Not something to take lightly just for the scholarship money.</p>