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There’s also the GI Bill which I’m not going to cover here; however,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I also author the official Coast Guard ESO Blog which covers a lot of the commonly asked questions pertaining to individual questions regarding the Post 9/11 GI Bill. That doesn’t mean I won’t assist where able, so feel free to get in touch with me if you have a question about the GI Bill(s).
As a member of the Coast Guard you (and I) are able to get $4,500 per fiscal year towards a plethora of colleges (PDF warning!); all you have to do is take the time to fill out a form and it’s yours. Granted that amount doesn’t sound like much but it’s enough to pay for college on a part time basis all without you having to spend your own money. There are,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], of course, a number of stipulations for taking the money though, but for someone who’s planning a career in the service (*cough*cough*) they won’t/don’t really apply.
For the Enlisted folks, E-3 to E-9, the Coast Guard also has the Vander Putten Education Grant (VPEG) and Coast Guard Foundation Education Grant (CGFEG) programs which can kick in a few extra funds for items such as lab fees, books, or even some non-traditional courses (case by case basis). The whole list can be found here. *Sorry, 2010 funds have been exhausted.
However, as I’ve now been in over 15 years I realized that the original promised sum was just the tip of the iceberg if one’s willing to look below the surface.
If you ask me it’s a no brainer. Whether you’re new to the Coast Guard or pushing 20+ years there are little excuses to not to be going to school; especially if the Coast Guard is offering to help pay for it (all without touching your GI Bill). And for other opportunities in the education front check out the CG’s TRAINING AND EDUCATION MANUAL.
The Coast Guard Institute is the hub of our educational needs within the Coast Guard. Not only are they responsible for ensuring our workforce is adequately educated to perform their assigned duties but they are also the central point of contact for those of us who would like to continue their education.
I readily admit that my original intentions of joining the military were, at the time, seemingly self serving. I joined the Army in 1994, the infantry to boot, with the promises of getting a sum of $30,000 (or so, I don’t recall the exact amount) for college. A pretty sweet deal indeed.
As the Education Services Officer (ESO) here at LANT Area I have the privilege of assisting everyone from O-8 (haven’t had to help the VADM yet) to E-2 in continuing their education. There are,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], without a doubt, countless (well not countless) opportunities to become further educated without spending a whole lot… if anything. Though I personally haven’t used all of the services we offer the one I can attest to is the use of Tuition Assistance.