Where Will I Earn Money?

Suppose you earn a hefty scholarship for college, you are enrolled in the Air Force (or any other branch). The military will pay for all your school, what happens to the scholarship money you did earn?

• I'm hoping to get scholarship money. Separately, I've been interested in the military for a while because of its benefits. I'm wondering what happens when you earn all of these amenities?

• Answer:

  The military does not pay for all your college. This is a common misconception. I used my GI Bill and tuition assistance to earn my bachelors degree while on active duty. The military paid a portion but I still had to take out about $20,000 in student loans to pay for the rest. If you have a full scholarship for whatever reason you could still draw on your GI Bill for living expenses while going to classes. You'll get a check for about $1,200 a month give or take a couple hundred, based on where you are. Students in places with high cost of living receive more. Someone in San Francisco could expect around $1,500 a month whereas someone in Wichita around $1,000. My experience is from about 7 years ago so things may be different now but there you have it.