One of the biggest motivations for young adults to sign up with a branch of the military is because the military/government pays for most of their education. However, there are often caveats that come with this benefit. The most notable caveat is that you have to serve before you earn and learn.

Since many young soldiers do not want to be going to college in their late twenties and early thirties, the military has found a way for its youngest soldiers to go to school while serving their country. Under this new education plan, the soldiers must commit to a certain number of years of service before educational funds may be released for you to attend an online college while you serve. Here are five reasons why online colleges (in these instances) are the best option for you while you serve your country.

You Can Complete Your Coursework on Your Own Time

When you are on active duty, you only have so much "free" time to devote to schoolwork. If you were trying to attend a brick and mortar college, you would have to drop out or put your classes on hold because you could not be present. With attendance through a military-approved online university, you can use what little free time you have on active duty to complete an assignment or take a test. When you are not on active duty, you can complete your coursework as fast or as slowly as you want.

Online Schooling Allows for Digital Payment and Digital Transmission of Funds

It does not matter where in the world you are, you can take an online class. This is also a perk for the military because they can pay for your online education regardless of where they post you. (You just have to fill out the correct requisite forms with your C.O., and then the military pays for the classes in which you have enrolled for the term.) Since it is all digital, the transactions are rather instantaneous. As soon as your college notifies you that your tuition and classes have been paid for, you can jump in and start learning.

Some Online Colleges Have Special Enrollment Portals for Soldiers

Imagine being able to jump the enrollment and registration line. That is exactly what some online colleges and universities already do for military personnel. They allow you to enroll a few weeks to a couple months before civilians. This prevents you from being denied access to the courses you intended to take when the courses are so popular that they have to turn away students. It also gives you access to many of the online college resources sooner, too.

Some Online Colleges Offer Military Discounts

To sweeten the pot and entice more veterans and military personnel to attend their colleges, some online colleges will give you discounts on your chosen classes and/or enrollment and registration fees. You will have to do your research on which colleges and universities offer these discounts. Then you will have to check with military regulations to see if the funds provided to you for your education are affected by the discounts. Usually, they are not, as you are saving the government money, but you should still check on that.

You Can Work, Earn Money, and Earn a Degree All at the Same Time

It takes a lot of time and effort to work, earn money, and earn a degree all at the same time in the civilian world. However, as a soldier, your education is paid for, and you are paid a monthly stipend for your service. That eliminates the cost of paying for your education while you simultaneously make a living. Better still, after you earn your degree, you can receive quite the promotion in rank and pay with the military if you decide to re-up your service contract.

If you have more questions about attending an online college for military personnel, contact schools like the University of Maryland University College.