Air Guard to Marine PLC

[mikemarkota]

I'm trying to decide how to pay for college and serve. I'm interested in attending PLC with an aviation contract.. but I'm having trouble paying for school/rent/food/insurance/car maintenance with my current job (the hours are never constant)

In order to go to college next semester I have to pay almost $7,500 (my financial aid didn't go thru :icon_rage) and I can't transfer my credits unless I pay the bill in full.

I discovered the NY Air National Guard pays 100% of tution at any SUNY/CUNY school. On top of that, as an E-2 with the GI Bill etc, I would get about $900/month for 2 days/month.

I'm wondering if I could join the ANG to pay for school and still attend Marine PLC if accepted? I understand I would need a conditional release and I plan on asking the CO of the unit I'm interested in if he would sign it if I were accepted to PLC.

Would I be released from the ANG before attending PLC or would I be released once I got graduated PLC? If I were released before attending PLC and didn't pass, would I be out of the guard or continue as normal? Would I still need to drill with the ANG between Juniors/Seniors? Would I need to pay back the Guard for covering my tution if I got a release?

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

[Swanee]

Don't join the Air Guard if your goal is to be a Marine.

There are many other programs out there that can get you into what you want.

 

[vetteboyva]

mikemarkota,

I'm in the National Guard and am thankfully moving to Inactive reserves in September(with PLC-C next summer hopefully). I don't know how different things are on the Air National Guard side of the house, but I can share my experiences on the Army side with you. Theoretically doing what you propose, joining the Air National Guard and then attending PLC with a conditional release(DD form 368) is possible. However, the plan is, I guess you would say, dicey. After sending you to boot camp and then spending a good sum on several years of your education the Air National Guard may be reticent to let you go, most releases from the Army side are denied in my state(I know a guy who processes them). On top of that you have the great possibility for deployment(unless the air guard is doing the 'college-first' program that the Army guard is doing). One possible solution to the problem is to sign up for a single year with the Guard(if that is still possible) and then do PLC your first summer then you are eligable for the tuition assistance and stipend from the Marine Corps that will pay most of your costs(with fasfa type stuff covering the rest hopefully). Another possibility, the one I would personally recommend having been in the guard would be to find a private loan to cover your first year of school and attend PLC-Juniors next summer and then you are eligible for the Marine financial asssistance and stipend. As a disclaimer, this is from my own personal experience and what I have read, so I would definitely speak to a recruiter and OSO to found out the facts. Good luck, and feel free to shoot any Guard specific questions my way.

 

[phrogpilot73]

This has come up on other discussion boards when I was working on my Coast Guard DCA package. Specifically, conditional releases being denied etc... There is a federal law (I apologize, my Google-Fu is weak today - so I can't provide a link yet) that states that a conditional release CANNOT be denied if the purpose of the release is to further your career. What that means is that if you're enlisted, your conditional release cannot be denied for an officer program. If I find the link that said that, I'll pass it on.

 

[USMC Helo Bubba]

I was in the Guard and left on a conditional release to go PLC. However I had already served 6 yrs (found PLC late my junior year).

Mine was no problem, but I had been in long enough to repay any commitments etc. and for the guard to get thier "moneys worth" out of me after sending me to training.

I would be very careful in this day and age. If the perception is you signed up for the cash and try to run in a couple years -- It might get ugly.

And, as Vette said, your whole plan could easily be derailed by an 18 month deployment.

I commend you on wanting to serve, but go for what you want .

How about NROTC scholarships etc? Im clueless on how hard they are to get.

Just my take

USMC HB