Air National Guard pays 100% of Tuition

[iatrosB]

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I heard from one of my classmates that the MO ANG pays 100% of tuition to go to med school. Anyone know if this is true. I also heard that if you are in the MO ANG you cannot be called up in med school. Their website says there is a federal law against it. I would love anyone's input on this before I talk to the recruiter to sift out his/her BS. Thanks.

 

[texdrake]

I heard from one of my classmates that the MO ANG pays 100% of tuition to go to med school. Anyone know if this is true. I also heard that if you are in the MO ANG you cannot be called up in med school. Their website says there is a federal law against it. I would love anyone's input on this before I talk to the recruiter to sift out his/her BS. Thanks.

I haven't seen the info, but it sounds wrong. Last I heard the national guard had no such clause.

Also they traditionally pay you for your 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year, plus give you some money toward school (I think 8,000 a year). If he/she were going to a state school that may pay for all of it. But I highly doubt they are willing to foot the bill for only a reserve commitment.

 

[adventurer]

I am not sure about the specifics of your state, but what the recruiter told you is probably a combination of the truth and recruiting speal (typical!)

The National Guard has a combination of programs that pay for school, and they may advertize %100, but that usually goes up to a certain cap, usually the main state college, so if your school is more expensive, they won't pay the difference. There is Federal Tuition Assistance, State Tuition Assistance, usually a state tuition waiver and your GI Bill. You still qualify for student aid through the Fed govt, state govt, etc and loans. Many students make money while they are going to school.

As far as the deployment thing, I have never heard of it. I think that is just wishful thinking.

 

[pilotdoc]

I had a friend who attended CRNA school on the Army Reserve's dime - might have even been the MN National Guard. (Got to work on those listening skills.) All funded, with a stipend. Couldn't get deployed during school and not sure what the pay back time was. Seems like a decent deal if you don't want to be active duty - but are fully aware that 40% of the troops in Iraq are Guard and Reserves.

 

[iatrosB]

I had a friend who attended CRNA school on the Army Reserve's dime - might have even been the MN National Guard. (Got to work on those listening skills.) All funded, with a stipend. Couldn't get deployed during school and not sure what the pay back time was. Seems like a decent deal if you don't want to be active duty - but are fully aware that 40% of the troops in Iraq are Guard and Reserves.

I don't mind being called up, AFTER med school. I would actually like to be called up for things like disaster relief.

 

[iatrosB]

I haven't seen the info, but it sounds wrong. Last I heard the national guard had no such clause.

Check it out:

http://www.goang.com/faq/faq_medical.aspx

 

[adventurer]

There are many different military programs for college money. Your friend likely was in the HPSP nurses program, wich is different then straight up National Guard. Health Care students usually have more options when it comes to military sources of funding then students in 4 year colleges. If you are in the NG, without being in some other special program (such as ROTC, ROTC Nurse program, HPSP, etc) you can be deployed. This is a big concern of mine, as a member of the MD National Guard (formerly MN NG) because I have been accepted to Pharmacy School and many individuals in my unit are being deployed, so I have done as much research as I can into this area.

 

[qqq]

There are many different military programs for college money. Your friend likely was in the HPSP nurses program, wich is different then straight up National Guard. Health Care students usually have more options when it comes to military sources of funding then students in 4 year colleges. If you are in the NG, without being in some other special program (such as ROTC, ROTC Nurse program, HPSP, etc) you can be deployed. This is a big concern of mine, as a member of the MD National Guard (formerly MN NG) because I have been accepted to Pharmacy School and many individuals in my unit are being deployed, so I have done as much research as I can into this area.

how many years in the guard d o you have left? i assume you're going to start school and just keep your fingers crossed that you're not activated. is this true? have you told the dean of your school you're in the guard? will they allow you to come back to school the next year if you're activated?

 

[adventurer]

I have about 5 months left in the guard, and I am planning on getting out (fingers crossed.) I have not yet started Pharm School (this fall!) The scary part is that one of the Companies in my BN is getting called up. So far, they have a lot more volunteers then spaces to put people, so I think I am ok, but I have to be prepared just in case.

I wish I didn't have to get out of the guard, because there are lots of great benefits, but I don't want to be called up while in school. Not only that, but I am not sure I will have enough time to work at all once school starts. For some people, it is "only 2 days per month/2 weeks per year" but that doesn't quite work the same if you reach a certain rank and level of responsibility!

 

[Celiac Plexus]

according to my close friend who is in the national guard, and in medical school right now, one cannot be called up in med school, or residency. if you think about it, it's not in the military's best interest to utilize you as a rifleman, since you are much more valuable to the war machine as a trained physician.

 

[cavaor]

We had an army national guard member pulled from our class for deployment. I asked specifically about this before going HPSP and was told that with guard, you can get deployed, though it is "unlikely". Having seen the unlikely occur, I was tilted towards HPSP. This was in Illinois.

 

[dry dre]

The guard does have some sweet deals, with many states offering up to $50,000 in loan repayment, plus some hefty bonuses and monthly stipends almost rivaling what the active/HPSP/FAP people get. All this for no active duty requirement in obligation (other than weekends and 2 weeks per year). Of course, nowadays the guard is sort of full-time...

Being activated and pulled _out of medical school_ makes me wonder if that member wanted to go. I mean, what do they do? Refuel trucks? Was this person's request to stay in school denied?

 

[cavaor]

I am uncertain what his role is in the guard, though I do know he was not in a medical unit. He has been in for years and this was his second deployment. He did request to stay in school and it was denied. He did return in time to start the next fall at least. The only reason I was aware of specifics is he was my anatomy dissection partner. In his case, 100% of tuition was being paid. I think it really depends on your state (for how much is paid) and unit assignment (for deployment likelihood). I would suggest talking to some of your school's admin to see if students have been pulled in the past which will probably get you a straightfoward answer rather than recruiter schpiel since they have no incentive to skew the answer. Good luck on the decision either way.


"Being activated and pulled _out of medical school_ makes me wonder if that member wanted to go. I mean, what do they do? Refuel trucks? Was this person's request to stay in school denied?"

 

[iatrosB]

I am uncertain what his role is in the guard, though I do know he was not in a medical unit. He has been in for years and this was his second deployment. He did request to stay in school and it was denied. He did return in time to start the next fall at least. The only reason I was aware of specifics is he was my anatomy dissection partner. In his case, 100% of tuition was being paid. I think it really depends on your state (for how much is paid) and unit assignment (for deployment likelihood). I would suggest talking to some of your school's admin to see if students have been pulled in the past which will probably get you a straightfoward answer rather than recruiter schpiel since they have no incentive to skew the answer. Good luck on the decision either way.


"Being activated and pulled _out of medical school_ makes me wonder if that member wanted to go. I mean, what do they do? Refuel trucks? Was this person's request to stay in school denied?"

If you are guard going in, I think that is a different program than joining after you begin medical school. In that sense, I think it is no different than undergrad where you can be called up.