03rd Nov2011

Help! I can’t afford college!

by Mrs. Gunn

Whether you’re GPA is 4.0 or 2.0, there is a way to afford a four year institution. Anyone can apply and go to college through the ARMY ROTC program. There are also cadet programs for the marines, navy, and air force.

Every school is different, but usually, you can get your tuition paid for as well as room and board in some cases. In return, you’ll have to give some years of service to the military after you graduate. I recommend the JROTC program because it pays for your education and teaches you leadership skills.  This is a great option if you can’t afford college, or perhaps you want to go to a school that is out of your price range. Both private and public universities and colleges offer this program.

Another thing to consider. The military gives you job experience. There are a lot of college graduates that are having  a hard time getting a job right now. If you go JROTC, you have a job as soon as  you graduate, and you can transfer that experience to another job. A lot of employers like to hire veterans because they have discipline and are well trained. Or, you can stay in for 20 years, retire at the age of 41, and work another career or travel or focus on the family. If you like the military atmosphere, it’s a great way to go. I know a lot of military musicians that love their jobs.  However, I don’t know if you are required to have a certain major to do the ROTC program.

By the way, the structure of the music programs in the army is changing. From what I hear, they are going from the traditional concert band and full orchestra to small group settings, like rock, country, or jazz combos. These are small groups that usually have 4 – 7 players. That means that even guitar players can find their niche in the army.

Here is a link to the ROTC programs in general:

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc.html

Here is a link to the JROTC programs in Virginia:

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/find-schools.VA-.results.html

Here is a list of schools in Virginia with JROTC programs:

Category : Scholarships
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