Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Student Debt (HBO)

Great advice. I wish I would have used my MGIB instead of loans, would have saved me a pretty penny. However, the good at least is I can still use it for future schooling; also transfer to beneficiaries of I'm not mistaken..it's been awhile.

Too bad the GI Bill doesn't pay much for college, it rarely covers tuition let alone the remaining expenses.

I agree. Research is critical. Things to consider when evaluating schools.

Is the school credible? Do you want to waste benefits on a school who education and reputation is not respected in the civilian world?

Is the school cost effective? Schools that are truly veteran friendly will make their programs available to the veteran community at little to not cost. Just because a school has a Yellow Ribbon program, does not necessarily mean the student will come out debt free. Each school's Yellow Ribbon program is different. Ask if the school offers a TA Match. Some schools will match dollar for dollar the military's contribution. Northeastern University is one of these schools.

The GI bill pays pretty well if you attend a Yellow Ribbon school. It is true that while on active duty you do not recieve the housing allowance.

CPL Doug Hill I also went to AMU, for my Master's. Tuition was less than Montana in-state tuition at Montana State. Profs were not only formally educated they were experienced professionals. AMU is outstanding!

The only issue is that many of the colleges that are more military friendly do not make the cut for employers. That is not to say they won't but the link I provided is what civilian employers use to "rack and stack" your degree. Thankfully the college I went with was #22 (I think!) on the list for Criminal Justice degrees. The issue that many Active military run into is they will put the time in for a degree that is not even worth the paper it is printed on. This source is a great tool in evaluating if your prospective school will make the cut. I provide it to all my Sailors that are interested in college.

Make sure your school has the proper accreditation prior to signing up for any classes. If it doesn't have them, you may be looking at losing out on potential Direct Commission pay grade losses, or worse yet - a worthless piece of paper that employers don't recognize.

PO1 (Join to see) I agree that many degrees are not worth much, especially undergraduate degrees. My BA was for personal interest. Other than that it really isn't worth much. At the time the school I went to, Linfield College was #2 (2005) for undergraduate degrees, second only to Stanford.

SCPO Stephen Ibanez

Glad I could help, but I still would not pick it a major if you are looking pay back your student loan during this life time.

I wouldn't pick that major, either. I'm impressed by how you found useful elements in the stereotypical (and, I hope, fictional) useless degree. That's a truly useful skill!

SCPO Stephen Ibanez

May be two decades in recruiting? Years in recruiting are like dog years.

Truer words were never spoken! We used to refer to it as 36 one-month tours rather than a single 36-month tour. Everything was new when the calendar rolled over. I'm so glad to be done with that life - and I left it 32 years ago!