MikeJ-2009

Or maybe it was because I knew if I didn't waste my time I would be able to get to work on what I've created and not spend 4 years in Nebraska, only to get out with nothing.

The military wants lifers. They're not really trying to offer you this big advantage in life for spending 4 years and leaving. ----, the first year is usually training anyway.

bmaca455

If you only plan on spending 4 years in the Military, you better spend as much time of it as possible going to school (School that will get you a degree) because when you get out your gonna be exactly where you started if you don't. I went to college for a few years before I joined the Marine Corps and only have about 40 credits left to go before I have a pretty decent degree... A degree combined with 4 years of honorable military service will get you hired over someone with that same degree, but don't go thinking that just because you were some hotshot in the Military employers are gonna care because if your not educated your not gonna get looked at twice...

Inquisition

Pharmacists do not make $250k nor do they start at 70k. I come from a family of pharmacists and I know none of them make that kind of dough. I'm fairly sure the average is somewhere in the $40-80k range. Do whatever you want, but I wouldn't ever join up for the college money. I'd much rather go into $100,000 of debt than be owned by the government.

MikeJ-2009

C.C-F.A.B IS A JOKE.

fork

realize that you are signing up for a good chance to fight in a war, not a part time job

xpert787

I guess I'll throw in my two cents since I had to consider a similar situitation as you. Here are your options, and these will be from the perspective of Army, AF may have more money to allocate i don't know. If you go into the reserves they will pay for a portion of your pharmacy school. You will still have to take on debt, the cap on TA through the reserves is 2500 a year, not bad for undergrad but for you probably won't help much. The AF may have more money to allocate through that program, but I would check. MGIBILL pays about 300$ a month without a kicker(extra money added through your contract), only while you are a full time student(>12hrs a semester). I used these things to pay for my undergrad, but now I'm headed to professional school and the trade off isn't worth it. If your in the reserves you are subject to deployment and being pulled from school to be deployed for a year or two will erase any benefits since thats 1-2 years of income you just lost. So reserves is your 1st option, the second is the HPSP program. This is a scolarship the military services offer where they will pay for your professional school, and you are undeployable, they will also give you 1300 a month to live off. Once you finish school, you will owe them 4years active for a 4year school. After those 4yrs you are debt free and can start your carreer. The 3rd option is take loans and pay them off, you will have to weigh these options. The more a civillian pharmacist job pays the less attractive the HPSP will seem, because you will be able to pay the loans off easily. My advice is talk to some pharmacists, find out what they really make, this will make the choice easier, also make sure you will be happy as a pharmacist. I decided to take the HPSP, but know that if you dislike the military, or the idea of someone telling you what to do once you are a pharmacist this may not be the path for you.

tman6919

thanks for all the info and inputs people, it looks like this ---- isn't for me... looks like im looking at six digits of student loans, i got this far paying my ---- off i just hate the idea of loans and debt