Will Student Loans Affect My GI Bill Eligibility?

Hi Shauntae, There are programs in place for some types of student loans that allow students to defer payments if they are called onto active duty or their reserve unit is mobilized.  The student loans are usually federal backed loans.  There is a website where you can download an application for deferment, and you are probably going to need a letter from your future commanding officer, or another official stating that you are on active duty.

Your student loans, or classes you have already taken, will not affect your GI Bill eligibility unless you enter the service under a loan repayment program.  Each branch of service offers an enlistment program where the military will repay a portion of your student loans during your initial enlistment.  This is an enlistment contract that you must enter into at the time you enlist.  The program only covers certain types of student loans, and there are other eligibility requirements.  If you decide to enlist through this option, you might want to compare the programs each branch offers, as some branches of service pay more on student loans than others.  The catch with the loan repayment programs is that during that initial enlistment, none of your time counts towards becoming eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post 9/11 GI Bill.  However, you can become eligible with a second enlistment.  If your student loans are not very much, it might be worth it to go in with a normal enlistment, and start working towards becoming eligible for a  GI Bill.  You should be able to get a deferment on your student loans, and even if you can’t, if the loan is small you can probably cover the payments with your salary.  If your student loans are quite a bit, then the loan repayment program might be better.

You can also continue your education while on active duty by using programs such as Tuition Assistance or the Community College of the Air Force.