Military to pay for school?

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Has anyone joined the military to pay for CRNA school? If so, how is it? How many years are you required to work for them after graduation?

Thanks

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Do not join the military just so they will pay for school. Consider it if you're interested in the lifestyle, which becomes more and more rigorous as the drawdown pushes would-be lifers back into the civilian world. But absolutely do NOT just do it for the money.

Government / Military Nursing

Browse this forum to get a feel for the experience of real nurses who are servicemembers and decide from that if it's really what you want.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

The payback is approximately 1:1 for HPSP, and a 5 year payback if you goto one of the two military CRNA schools.

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I am looking at the Air Force. They do not have a specific school. I get to choose the school I go to. From what I understand it is about a 3 year payback. My question is more about the experience of serving in the military. What is that like? Where do you serve? Is it conducive for a family?

SoldierNurse22... I appreciate your comments, but... is there any other kind of nurse. I thought we are all "real" nurses. I guess I should have been more specific than "how is it?" Please describe the lifestyle. That is the unknown for me. I do want to get a feel for it before I commit.

Thanks for all of your comments.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I am looking at the Air Force. They do not have a specific school. I get to choose the school I go to. From what I understand it is about a 3 year payback. My question is more about the experience of serving in the military. What is that like? Where do you serve? Is it conducive for a family?

SoldierNurse22... I appreciate your comments, but... is there any other kind of nurse. I thought we are all "real" nurses. I guess I should have been more specific than "how is it?" Please describe the lifestyle. That is the unknown for me. I do want to get a feel for it before I commit.

Thanks for all of your comments.

The government and military forum has numerous posts on military lifestyle etc.

The USAF sends all its active duty nurses to either USUHS in Bethesda Md or Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio for nurse anesthesia school.

HPSP students can pick any accredited nurse anesthesia civilian school. I would avoid any non-regionally accredited NA school though. I would also try to find a DNP or DNAP program instead of MSN program since the military is starting to graduate all its APNs as DNPs now.

The USAF also just started a direct civilian entry program into the USUHS nurse anesthesia program.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma ICU, CVICU.

If you are considering joining, why not just go to one of their programs? The Army program is considered one of the best in the nation. I considered joining just to get the education and experience the military provides!

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We have a number of military nurses in our graduate nursing programs at the University of Virginia. The payback for DUINS, AFIT, and Army Long Term Education for grad school is two years of service for every year of schooling covered. DNAP programs are typically 4 years now, so that would mean 8 years of service afterward.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
We have a number of military nurses in our graduate nursing programs at the University of Virginia. The payback for DUINS, AFIT, and Army Long Term Education for grad school is two years of service for every year of schooling covered. DNAP programs are typically 4 years now, so that would mean 8 years of service afterward.

The payback is about 2 years payback for every year of school, but differs slightly for programs longer than 2 years i.e. 3 yr school 5 yr payback/4 yr school 7 yr payback.

HPSP scholarships have a little different rules on payback.

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