Hello,
I am a international student from south korea and I was wondering if anybody had some info on what benefits i can get from joining the military before my freshman or sophomore years in college. Thank you
also is going to the military while in college good or bad. can you list the pros and cons? THanks
Not really. US knows it’s mandatory, so no. Unless it’s voluntary…
Anyway, whether you go or not, colleges don’t give you money for that, and I would be surprised if South Korea gives you some scholarship for it. I doubt it would ever happen because as a South Korean myself…I believe that my country never rewards enough their citizens.
Also, why do you want to spend 1.5~2 years in military??
Go to military AFTER you graduate. There are NO pro going to military before college because no US college cares.
There are cons though for going to military during/before the school
1)it may cause you to lose sense of studying.
2) Going back and forth the country is time-wasting. Also, you will forget virtually everything you learned.
3) You may have to deal with meticulous, frustrating and time-consuming visa work
However, there are pros for going to army AFTER college.
- You may be treated better thanks to your English skill and good education background, assuming you didn’t completely bomb the class.
- You can apply for jobs right after the army duty ends.
Also, are you able to afford at least 45k~65k per year?? Not many Korean families can afford that much these days.
If you want to work in the US after college, you should complete your military service requirements before (preferably) or during college. Right after you graduate, you’re allowed to work in the US on OPT, which comes with your student visa. However, if you leave the US for any length of time after graduation, you lose your OPT eligibility and then you’d need to find an employer who’d petition for a work visa for you - and work visas are really hard to come by.
In addition to the visa paperwork, employers are also much more likely to invite you to an interview if you’re applying locally (e.g. from within the same city) than if they’d have to fly you in from a different country or skype.
Last but not least, if you’re applying for jobs while in college, your college career center would actively help you with your job search. They’d be organizing career fairs, for example, with employers who’re specifically looking to hire students from your university. If you’re applying for jobs later after your military service, you’d be on your own.
i dont think i explained clearly. Im waiting for my green card, but i dont think itll come out in time during college for me to apply for fasfa… i dont have ny visa etc… but i do have a working card… I was wondering if i could join the US military and get benefits from the US army. I know if you go to us military, you get a green card. But what i want to know is if they give you any money for college through the gi bill or what not. And what are the pros and cons of going to military in US. Thanks
Yes, you can get money for college from the military. If you serve more than 36 months on active duty, you could currently get 100% of in-state tuition and a monthly housing allowance paid for, for a maximum of 36 months. Note that the rates are subject to change.
http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/resources/benefits_resources/rate_tables.asp
Though think hard about joining the millitary if your only motivation is financial. 20% of non-institutionalized veterans are estimated to have a service-related disability, and a quarter of them have a disability rating of at least 70%. Examples of disabilities that qualify for a 70% rating: amputation of your dominant hand; a traumatic brain injury that results in inability to communicate in verbal or written language at least half of the time; burn scars on your face that result in gross disfigurement; or loss of one eye and a 20/200 rating on the other (that means that you could only read the top line of a standard vision chart).
Not something I’d personally want to risk, only to save money on college.
If you already have a work permit and are just waiting for the green card, I’d personally just postpone college for a year and work in the interim.
Exactly.
Military commitment is not a joke at all, even less in the US. If you are just doing for money, then don’t do it.
What are your grades and test scores? There are pretty decent schools that offer good merit tuition scholarship. For example, I got full tuition from U of Alabama.
What if they send you to Iraq or Afghanistan? I am not sure an Alien can serve in the US military, call the recruiters first.
Even many financially strapped US citizen won’t join military. But, I have seen good results from ppl returning from military service. One kid I know got into Columbia free.
Gap year seems a good choice.
Also, Is it realistic to just pay 200,000 for an undergraduate education. What are my options besides a one year break. My parents can pay for the first year but thats pretty much it… andmy grades and stuff are 2250 , 800 math 740 reading 730 writing, 800 math2c, 780 chem, 94.5 gpa, decent to good ecs, decent to good essays/recs. Im just waiting on schools like macaulay honors and cooper union. I just got into U illinois at urbana but got 0 dollars. Thanks
Yes, you could take the gap year to search for automatic full ride or full tuition schools start with Howard and the two U Alabama(s). Also consider Berea. Since you were admitted to UIUC, you are qualified for some thing of less prestigious with lots of scholarship. You also can try those “below $25,000 COA” schools see if they will give you some scholarship to make it more affordable.
Military should be your last resort. No, it does not make any sense to spend $200K for UG education, unless you want to be an investment banker in the US.
Not surprisingly, since for financial aid purposes you’re an international student applying to a top public university. Did you complete a few financial aid calculators (pretend you already have your green card) to see how much financial aid you might qualify for once you do get your green card?
it would still be zero. but i think thats 0 dollars from u illinois. wouldnt i get money from the government through fafsa once i get a green card?
and i really want to attend college immediately after high school.
You are only entitled to a loan for $5,500. Far less than what’s needed to pay OOS tuition.
Isn’t it easier to wait a year and reapply to schools more likely to give you aid then spending 3 years in the armed forces during wartime and then applying?
how would reapplying a year later help me attain more aid? Thanks
and where would the 5,500 dollars be coming from @MYOS1634
By applying to schools that are likely to offer you merit scholarships or need-based aid, instead of just the highest-ranked engineering programs out there. Your in-state public universities are probably affordable with institutional aid, state aid and federal aid. Which state are you a resident of?
That’s the amount of federal Stafford loans available to a first-year student. FAFSA provides aid mostly in the form of loans and work-study awards. Grants are rare and only given to low-income applicants.
are there other options?
not listed on this page?