Army is cutting college tuition assistance for active duty

[jdgator]

Article: Army Eyes Dramatic Cuts to Key Education Benefits for Soldiers

It used to be that active duty personnel could use up to 4k a year toward tuition assistance. The program was wildly successful. It allowed enlisted personnel to complete college while in uniform and gave folks an incentive to re-enlist. It allowed officers to earned the masters degree which is expected for promotion to O-5. The Army is slashing this program to save money.

The program cost 250 million a year. For context, this is less than 25% of the Army's annual marketing budget.

In other news US armed forces recruitment is way down.

 

[hopper]

U.S. thinks about cutting tuition for the people that risk their lives to protect them.
U.S. thinks about paying college loans for students that shout Death to America

 

[Ruger#3]

Recruiting is down so let’s cut the largest incentive. This administration is dumber than dirt.

 

[jdgator]

U.S. thinks about cutting tuition for the people that risk their lives to protect them.
U.S. thinks about paying college loans for students that shout Death to America

The military recruits heavily from the deep south and the rust belt. It gets young men and women who are looking to improve themselves and move up the ladder. Blacks and Hispanics are well-represented because to them this is a way out. By cutting tuition assistance Biden Administration is telling them to stay in their lane.

 

[Shane Dockery]

If memory serves me correctly, they did it during Obama's regime (maybe Bush) as well. Air Force had a program call Operation Bootstrap. If you had less than 2 years left to finish your degree, you could be released from active duty to go to college full time, then in turn commit to 3x the amount of time back to the Air Force and go back in as an officer. Great program if you were already going to stay in for a career as well. They did away with the program right after a buddy of mine went through it. I really wanted to do it, but couldn't after it went away.

@Ruger#3 may be able to confirm that.

 

[Ruger#3]

The Air Force was big on having extension colleges holding classes on base. It was a great benefit and many utilized it to get their degree. I worked with an Army guy who had been on a mortar team. He had got his undergrad through the program.

 

[flynlow]

This administration is dumber than dirt.

This is being waaaay more generous than it deserves. I have other words but you might mash the ban button on me.

 

[oldfella1962]

Article: Army Eyes Dramatic Cuts to Key Education Benefits for Soldiers

It used to be that active duty personnel could use up to 4k a year toward tuition assistance. The program was wildly successful. It allowed enlisted personnel to complete college while in uniform and gave folks an incentive to re-enlist. It allowed officers to earned the masters degree which is expected for promotion to O-5. The Army is slashing this program to save money.

The program cost 250 million a year. For context, this is less than 25% of the Army's annual marketing budget.

In other news US armed forces recruitment is way down.

25% of the marketing budget? Marketing to new (potential) recruits is more important than advancing the educations of those members already serving who have already proven themselves to be a "good fit" for the Army?

 

[oldfella1962]

If memory serves me correctly, they did it during Obama's regime (maybe Bush) as well. Air Force had a program call Operation Bootstrap. If you had less than 2 years left to finish your degree, you could be released from active duty to go to college full time, then in turn commit to 3x the amount of time back to the Air Force and go back in as an officer. Great program if you were already going to stay in for a career as well. They did away with the program right after a buddy of mine went through it. I really wanted to do it, but couldn't after it went away.

@Ruger#3 may be able to confirm that.

I think the Army had something called "Green to Gold" that was similar to Operation Bootstrap.

 

[Geffellz18]

The Air Force was big on having extension colleges holding classes on base. It was a great benefit and many utilized it to get their degree. I worked with an Army guy who had been on a mortar team. He had got his undergrad through the program.

Not 100% sure that my brother went this route, but he earned his degree through the AF. Finishing out his final 5 years now overseas.

 

[alphachief]

Is this really that big of a shock? That people who act like they hate our country and everything it’s always stood for…would act disrespectfully towards those that risk their lives to protect it? I mean come on, you know the military needs that money to support trans recruitment and support services.

 

[Dub]

Anyone who either voted for Biden-Harris or opted to not vote should have their taxes raised hugely to cover the impact of what they brought into power.

Disgusting.

 

[jdgator]

Update:

I hope this is not true, but apparently there was a presentation made at the staff officer's college about this.

The explanation is that soldiers are using the credentialing funds to prepare themselves for civilian careers. However, the army doesn't want these folks to leave. It believes that if the soldiers cannot make themselves competitive for the private sector then they will be apt to re-enlist.

Again, I hope this is not true but with the recruiting shortfalls who knows...

 

[Ruger#3]

Update:

I hope this is not true, but apparently there was a presentation made at the staff officer's college about this.

The explanation is that soldiers are using the credentialing funds to prepare themselves for civilian careers. However, the army doesn't want these folks to leave. It believes that if the soldiers cannot make themselves competitive for the private sector then they will be apt to re-enlist.

Again, I hope this is not true but with the recruiting shortfalls who knows...

This much like the thinking during the draft. Take anyone with a pulse. We had young men that spent months in remedial school before leaving boot camp. They couldn’t read at a high school level, couldn’t read technical manuals. They also tied up supervisors with the discipline issues.

 

[jdgator]

This much like the thinking during the draft. Take anyone with a pulse. We had young men that spent months in remedial school before leaving boot camp. They couldn’t read at a high school level, couldn’t read technical manuals. They also tied up supervisors with the discipline issues.

Indeed.

This might even backfire. The sharp folks might just exit sooner since their incentives to re-enlist are being taken away.

 

[WOODIE13]

There's always their GI Bill.

It took getting stationed at Lackland AFB to get my first degree, was tough trying to get residency since every Army installation offered different colleges back in the day.

And they wonder why their recruitment goals come up short.

 

[Ruger#3]

There's always their GI Bill.

It took getting stationed at Lackland AFB to get my first degree, was tough trying to get residency since every Army installation offered different colleges back in the day.

And they wonder why their recruitment goals come up short.

The GI Bill was changed to more of a matching fund deal for todays military.

 

[transfixer]

Obama has never cared for or respected our military , his people are in positions of power with this puppet administration! I mean look at those in leadership positions ,,, the fact that recruitment is way down and they're wanting to do something that will drop it even more ? intelligence is not their strong point !

 

[WOODIE13]

The GI Bill was changed to more of a matching fund deal for todays military.

Thought that was more toward retirement?

Guess it's good they paid for my son's medical school.

 

[Ruger#3]

Thought that was more toward retirement?

Guess it's good they paid for my son's medical school.

It’s changed even more since I last looked at it. They have two programs to chose from. One for more traditional school and the other geared towards technical programs. Only one of them has transfer benefits so your wife or kids can use your unused benefit. Both are only 2/3s of the benefit I had under the original GI Bill. The matching is likely for retirement I haven’t looked at it lately so hesitant to speak to it.