FAFSA and military education benefits - how to maximize both for my situation?

why r u even worried about FAFSA? military already gives u education $$ just use that and forget the loans lol. my cousin is in the marines and he gets everything paid for free basically

There are several programs you should look into, but they each have different requirements. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program would let you have your federal loans forgiven after 120 qualifying payments while serving. There's also the military service deferment option while you're on active duty. For your FAFSA question - yes, you can still complete FAFSA and potentially qualify for additional federal aid even while using military benefits, but how much depends on your specific financial situation. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

The whole system is rigged against servicemembers!!! I tried for YEARS to get my loans forgiven while serving and kept getting DENIED for technicalities. They make these programs sound great but then make it IMPOSSIBLE to actually qualify. I made 7 YEARS of payments before finding out they "didn't count" because I was on the wrong payment plan!!! Nobody told me!!! Don't trust what anyone tells you, get EVERYTHING in writing.

Have you tried contacting Federal Student Aid directly? I was in a similar situation last year with military benefits questions, but could never get through on the phone. After countless disconnects and hours on hold, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual FSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent walked me through exactly how my military service affected my FAFSA eligibility and helped me understand all the forgiveness options specific to my situation. Truly saved me thousands by making sure I was enrolled in the right programs.

Dont 4get to check with ur branch's education office too!! They have spaprwork for tuition assistance thats DIFFERENT from GI Bill + they know all the military-specific scholarships that most civilians dont know about. My education office helped me get an extra $4K/year scholarship just for being in a certain MOS. Also sometimes u can use TA for current classes + save GI Bill for later but it depends on ur branch's current policy

Here's what you should do step-by-step: 1. Submit a FAFSA for the upcoming academic year regardless of your military status - it's always good to know what federal aid you qualify for 2. For your existing loans, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan and submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form to start tracking qualifying payments 3. Visit your base's education office to explore Tuition Assistance for any current coursework (this doesn't use your GI Bill benefits) 4. Complete the Military Student Loan Benefit sections on your loan servicer's website - there are interest rate reductions for active duty (SCRA benefits) 5. When planning future education, your SAI from FAFSA will determine need-based aid, then your GI Bill benefits are typically applied before loans are offered This combined approach maximizes your benefits and gives you the clearest path to loan forgiveness.

just wanted to say thank you for ur service!! my dad was military and used his gi bill for his engineering degree. best decision he ever made. hope u figure this out!

As a fellow service member who navigated this maze a few years back, I'd highly recommend creating a spreadsheet to track all your different benefits and deadlines. The military education office, loan servicer, and FAFSA all have different timelines and requirements that can easily get mixed up. Also, don't forget about state-specific veterans education benefits - many states offer additional tuition assistance or loan repayment programs that stack with federal benefits. I saved about $8K by applying for my state's veterans scholarship program that I almost missed because I was so focused on federal options. The key is applying for everything you're eligible for and then choosing the best combination once you see what gets approved.

Dylan, you're asking all the right questions! As someone who went through a similar process, I'd recommend starting with the basics: make sure you understand exactly what type of loans you have (federal vs private) since military benefits and FAFSA programs treat them differently. For your pre-service federal loans, you should definitely look into the military service deferment option while on active duty - this can pause your payments without interest accrual on subsidized loans. The PSLF program is worth pursuing, but make sure you get on an income-driven repayment plan ASAP and submit that employment certification form annually. Don't let anyone discourage you from filing FAFSA - even with military benefits, you might qualify for grants or work-study that don't need to be repaid. I'd also suggest talking to a financial counselor on base who specializes in education benefits - they can help you create a timeline for using TA now vs saving your GI Bill for later. The key is having multiple options so you can choose what works best for your career goals.