Private College Student Loan

Questions for military wives/husbands who have gotten their degree while their spouse was active?

Just want to say thank you in advance. I know this is long but I have lots of questions. My husbands being deployed soon. I'm going to be moving back home and living with his parents so I can get help with our newborn. The baby will be born and then a month later he deploys. So I really want to be around family and he wants me down there. Now. I need to go to school so I can get a decent job. I really want to become a nurse. However, that schooling is two years long. So I've decided to wait until he comes back so I don't have to stop halfway through. Then I was looking into becoming an LPN...that schooling is a year long. So I'd have to stay down in FL for a few extra months. I don't really want to do that as my husband will be spending those months alone up in WA. I don't want to leave him up there alone. Especially sine he will just be getting back from deployment. He says he wouldn't mind, but this is our first deployment. So I know his feelings about that may change. So...I figured I'd go to school to become a phlebotomist (three months long) and just work while he is deployed so we can save more money. Then when he gets back go to school to become an LPN. Which will be a nice pay raise...then go to school to become an RN. I realize that this will take longer but I'd really like to become an LPN and get experience before I become an RN. My husbands mother stays at home and she said that she would love to watch the baby while I attend school or work. Which makes me feel good because I don't have to leave my child with some stranger. I can't take online classes because I need the classroom interaction. It's just how I am able to learn. OK. Now for my questions...there are a lot of them so if you can't answer all of them I completely understand. Can you get your degree even though your family is moving around so much? What are the day-cares like on base for when I return to WA? Does this plan make sense to you? Is it possible? Are there any kind of programs for military wives who are interested in nursing? I know they have one for wives who want to become teachers. Are there any specific loans or grants for military wives? I've googled it and a bunch of spam popped up... My husband says his GI Bill can cover some of my schooling. Is this true? Is this an appropriate topic to talk to the education center about? Or is the education center just for active duty persons? Are civilians allowed to draw blood in military hospitals or are all those people active duty military?

Public Comments

1. I don't have the answer to all your questions, but i do have some answers. The education center is for AD military personal and dependents. You can go down there and speak to the different universities there. My wife went to Univ of North Carolina Wilmington at the Education Center on Camp Lejuene while I am stationed here. (however, some of the other schools there were really not that great) That is why we were happy UNC was there. There are grants/loans for dependents, if you qualify. They are competitive though. The Education center has many, many resources availble to help you find funding or payment plans for college. They are there to help you, go talk to them and find out what you qualify for. There are daycare centers on base, that you can place your children in. However, they are not free. Your husbands GI Bill will only cover you if he has been in enlisted for 10+ years or has been in 6 years with another 4 year contract signed.
2. 1. Yes you can still get a degree if you go to an accrediated school most of your stuff should be able to transfer. Each college has its own rules on what they will and will not accept. 2. No idea about the daycare. 3. If you get your LPN first you can fast track for RN check with the schools you wish to attend. 4. No special programs that I know of. 5. Check with the education center. This site can help too. http://www.discovernursing.com/ 6. Does your husband meet the criteria to pass some of his GiBill to you? Yes the education center can help you with it. 7. Yes.
3. Be wary of schools with offices on base because there are always at least a couple of "degree mills" there. Go to your local community college or state university. Here is the latest on your husband passing the GI Bill benefit on to you as this is a recent change to the GI Bill: Currently only the Army allows transfer of GI Bill entitlement although the other services have been given permission to enact their own transfer policies. The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for determining eligibility for transfer of entitlement. The law provides that an individual must have served at least 6 years in the Armed Forces and commits to serve a minimum of 4 more years before transfer of entitlement will be allowed. You'll also want to find a SOC (Servicemen's Opportunity College) if possible. (See the link below) This will make it easier to transfer between schools without losing credit.
4. This doesn't answer all of your questions. Consider becoming a CNA. When applying to Nursing school, this will look better than being a phlebotimist and the school for CNA is only several weeks long. The pay is no where near what an RN makes, but it does make for good experience and looks good that you have patient care on your application to Nursing school.