Hey all,
I'm a STA-21 OC currently enrolled at a private institution that costs 33k a year in tuition and fees after summer semester is factored in. I just got my GI Bill paperwork done and I thought I'd share my experience/reasonings for any current or future OC thinking of doing the same.
After being selected, I explored the public school route and applied to several that rank in the top tier of colleges (U. of Virginia, U. of Maryland, and the Citadel). However, I was only accepted to the Citadel of these three and I just didn't think it was the best fit for me.
I decided to go a private university and I have to say I have no regrets. Initially I was planning on taking loans to defray the cost. I filed a FAFSA application and was awarded $25000 in aid. I'm an E5 with no dependents, so I can only imagine that this would be more generous to those with families. 13k in grants (free money) and the rest in federal loans. This is an important factor to keep sight of, college tuition is a lot like the sticker price on a used car lot, no one actually pays that much. In addition to this a number of military scholarships are available, and while I was too late to apply for any this year, I know one MECEP OC who is receiving 8k a year in private scholarships. 8k scholarships + 10k STA-21 money + 13k in grants, and you're going to a private university with practically no loans.
Unfortunately, I was deployed last year and barely found the time and resources to apply to school, let alone scholarships, after being selected. So this year I am using the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Many schools, including my own, are participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, where the university matches every dollar the GI Bill pays in order to cover the gap in tuition. This is allowing me to go to a top private college for free this year.
The new GI Bill provides benefits for 36 months. If I get scholarship money next year I'll still have 24 months left (the length it takes to complete most Master's programs) and even if I don't, I would be foolish to have not used TA to start my graduate degree while still in the Navy. Since I'm only taking 2 years to complete the STA-21 program, at worst I'll be left with 12 months of benefits remaining.
The only problem with my plan that some may take issue with, is that I have only made provisions for my own higher education. Many Sailors are excited about the option of transferring their benefits to family members. Though I'm single now, this was still an issue I gave some thought to and ultimately made the decision to use the benefits for myself first. This was a personal decision and I can understand that others would not choose this path.
Sorry for the long winded post, but I thought this question deserved a real world answer rather than hypotheticals. If anyone has any further questions about using GI Bill with STA-21 feel free to PM me as I don't check this forum too frequently.