Educational Benefits for Military Auxiliaries

[sanantone]

In this thread, anyone can post about educational benefits for military auxiliaries. In the U.S., they are the Civil Air Patrol (Air Force), U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Merchant Marine (Navy), and Military Auxiliary Radio System (Army and Air Force). The Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are easy to join. I imagine that the Military Auxiliary Radio System is also somewhat easy to join, but I haven't looked much into them.

American Sentinel University is DEAC-accredited and offers auxiliary members the same tuition discount as non-active military.

Affordable Military Tuition- Complete Fees & Tuition Cost List

Liberty University gives the Emergency Response Personnel Discount to Civil Air Patrol senior members.

Emergency Response Discount | Liberty University Online

The U.S. Coast Guard has a few education assistance programs that are available to auxiliary members. They include an interest-free loan of $2,000; a grant that reimburses the cost of fees (graduation, lab, enrollment, etc.), equipment, and textbooks needed for undergraduate and vo-tech programs and study materials for CLEP/DSST; and reimbursement of federal loan fees.

http://www.cgmahq.org/repInfo/hqItems/EdBrochure.pdf

[sanantone]

If you're a chaplain candidate in the Civil Air Patrol, you can join the Military Chaplains Association and apply for their seminary scholarship.

Scholarships :: Military Chaplain Association

Correction: The Civilian Air Patrol does not have a chaplain candidate program; they just have a chaplain program. If you qualify as a chaplain based on experience rather than a graduate degree, then the scholarship program can help fund your graduate degree.

[inkleind]

I wonder if I can apply as a humanist chaplain. Definitely on my bucket list of jobs.... Thanks for linking it!

[sanantone]

I wonder if I can apply as a humanist chaplain. Definitely on my bucket list of jobs.... Thanks for linking it!

The closest thing to a humanist chaplain is becoming a minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church, which is not easy to do. CAP uses the military's list of approved denominations. I try to look for the easiest ways to achieve everything. My ordination from the Universal Life Church will not work.

[jb111]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

[sanantone]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

Cool! I'm going to have to investigate.

[jb111]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

Cool! I'm going to have to investigate.

Somehow I'm thinking many of these won't pass muster on the Chaplain path.  Funny story: When I was in the army (1987ish), one of my cohorts was able to get his dog tags changed to say, "Religion: Cthuluhu".  I couldn't believe he got away with it.  Things have changed over the last 30 years

[sanantone]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

Cool! I'm going to have to investigate.

Somehow I'm thinking many of these won't pass muster on the Chaplain path.  Funny story: When I was in the army (1987ish), one of my cohorts was able to get his dog tags changed to say, "Religion: Cthuluhu".  I couldn't believe he got away with it.  Things have changed over the last 30 years

It looks like the humanists already have themselves organized to start endorsing people for military chaplaincy. They're the main ones who have been fighting for recognition. Everyone still needs to earn an MDiv or related degree of at least 72 credit hours.

[jb111]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

Cool! I'm going to have to investigate.

Somehow I'm thinking many of these won't pass muster on the Chaplain path.  Funny story: When I was in the army (1987ish), one of my cohorts was able to get his dog tags changed to say, "Religion: Cthuluhu".  I couldn't believe he got away with it.  Things have changed over the last 30 years

It looks like the humanists already have themselves organized to start endorsing people for military chaplaincy. They're the main ones who have been fighting for recognition. Everyone still needs to earn an MDiv or related degree of at least 72 credit hours.

72 credit hours is a tall order.  Thanks for the addl research

[sanantone]

The faith list has expanded to 221 - wonder if that opens any opportunties

Cool! I'm going to have to investigate.

Somehow I'm thinking many of these won't pass muster on the Chaplain path.  Funny story: When I was in the army (1987ish), one of my cohorts was able to get his dog tags changed to say, "Religion: Cthuluhu".  I couldn't believe he got away with it.  Things have changed over the last 30 years

It looks like the humanists already have themselves organized to start endorsing people for military chaplaincy. They're the main ones who have been fighting for recognition. Everyone still needs to earn an MDiv or related degree of at least 72 credit hours.

72 credit hours is a tall order.  Thanks for the addl research

I think Nations University would be the cheapest option, and it's self-paced, but that is a very long program. They might give someone a waiver if they have at least five years of ministry experience, I believe.

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I've been meaning to add this. I heard that U.S. Coast Guard auxiliarists can take some online IT-related courses that are ACE-approved. I don't know what they are. I looked at the ACE Military Guide and couldn't find any Coast Guard courses labeled as online, correspondence, web, distance, or the like.