By Nathan Lake
Contributing Writer
Matthew Lorenzen has not paid a dollar of his tuition since he started at DMACC two years ago.
The Iowa National Guard takes care of that for him.
Lorenzen, a specialist in the Guard, is one of the many students in Iowa taking advantage of the Army National Guard’s financial aid benefits. The Guard’s program helps high school students going into college as well as adults. Those who enlist and complete their training can qualify for this aid.
“The Iowa Army National Guard will pay 100 percent college tuition to any state funded college,” said Boone-based Army Recruiter and Sgt. First Class Anthony Cosentino, as long as certain basic and advanced training requirements are met.
Lorenzen joined the Guard during his senior year at his Kansas high school in January 2010. He completed all of his basic training in Iowa.
“The road to becoming a soldier was hard at times. Basic training was difficult, but for me, it was worth it,” Lorenzen said.
Contributing Writer
Matthew Lorenzen has not paid a dollar of his tuition since he started at DMACC two years ago.
The Iowa National Guard takes care of that for him.
Lorenzen, a specialist in the Guard, is one of the many students in Iowa taking advantage of the Army National Guard’s financial aid benefits. The Guard’s program helps high school students going into college as well as adults. Those who enlist and complete their training can qualify for this aid.
“The Iowa Army National Guard will pay 100 percent college tuition to any state funded college,” said Boone-based Army Recruiter and Sgt. First Class Anthony Cosentino, as long as certain basic and advanced training requirements are met.
Lorenzen joined the Guard during his senior year at his Kansas high school in January 2010. He completed all of his basic training in Iowa.
“The road to becoming a soldier was hard at times. Basic training was difficult, but for me, it was worth it,” Lorenzen said.
Rich Dutcher, a counselor at Ogden High School, cautions that enlisting in the National Guard may not be right for all students.
“This lifestyle is not for everyone. It is a large time commitment,” Dutcher said.
Deployment, of course, is also always a possibility. Lorenzen said he likely will be called up to Kuwait next summer. He realizes that is a part of the trade-off, and, for him, the Guard was the right move.
“The National Guard helped me out a lot. They paid for my tuition and provided me with great opportunities,” Lorenzen said.
Lorenzen signed into the National Guard as a food specialist, a job requiring him to inspect the food provided to the soldiers to ensure it is safe to eat. Once he signed up and qualified for this job, he had his tuition paid for, and received a $13,000 signing bonus as well.
Cosentino, who has 25 years of military service, has worked with numerous high school students who are transitioning into college to help them decide if joining the National Guard is the right path for them.
“In order to receive 100 percent tuition, all you have to do is complete Basic Combat Training BCT (10 weeks) and Advanced Individual Training AIT (10+ weeks,)” Consentino said. “As soon as you complete those two things you come back to Iowa and start college.”
Once BCT and AIT are completed, the soldier must attend drill one weekend out of each month, as well as attend annual training. Annual training last for two weeks out of the summer and must be attended annually for six years after joining. The National Guard pays for 100 percent tuition as soon as the soldier completes AIT.
The tuition payment covers all class expenses as well as books and additional fees. It doesn’t, however, cover the soldier’s room and board. The National Guard also doesn’t pay for private colleges. The National Guard will, however, pay for any state funded college. For Iowa, this includes DMACC, ICCC, UNI, ISU, and University of Iowa.
Dutcher, the high school counselor, said sees about one to two students join the National Guard every year. The National Guard is the most commonly enlisted branch of the military among the students at Ogden High School.
“I’ve been working with Cosentino for six years now, helping kids decide which path is right for them,” he said.
Dutcher said that the motivation behind their enlistment is usually tied to the financial benefits that come with becoming a soldier in the National Guard.
Tuition for college is not easily affordable for some families, he said. “If your family’s income is something that doesn’t allow for college tuition, then I would recommend joining the National Guard as an option. For the right person, it is a good choice,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher says that most students are satisfied with the opportunities that become available to them through the financial benefits that come with National Guard.
“There are many benefits for both college payment and for expenses later in life that come with joining the National Guard,” he said.
The Guard also supplies health care benefits, life-insurance, retirement payments and more.
“Many students sign on for the college payment, not even realizing just how much the other benefits can help them,” Dutcher said.
To apply for the National Guard, the applicant must be a junior in high school and at least 17 years of age and under 35 years of age. If they meet these requirements, then they can enlist with a recruiter. Those still in high school must enlist with parental consent.
“I will have to pre-qualify them to see if they are eligible to join the military. Not everyone can join,” Cosentino said. Other restrictions are applied during the enlistment process. Convicted felons and those with severe disabilities may not be able to apply. The applicant must also be a U.S. citizen or a “legal permanent resident alien,” according to Guard information. They need to be able to pass the standard level of physical ability, which is measured using a version of the Army physical fitness test or APFT.
In most states the National Guard requires its soldiers to have a high school diploma. Before enlisting, the applicant is required to take a standardized test known as the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). This test will measure the applicant’s knowledge in eight fields to determine which career path in the National Guard is best for them. The areas include math, science, word knowledge, electronics, mechanics and auto/shop skills.
Students wanting to enlist before going to college so they can acquire financial aid can attend basic training in between their junior and senior year of high school. They then can complete their training by attending AIT after graduation but before going to college.
The National Guard also assists students with classes and training courses that certify soldiers in a number of career fields such as nursing and technology. Since soldiers become certified in their line of work during their service, finding a job once they retire comes easy, Consentino said.
Cosentino agrees that the benefits for soldiers are great for the right person. He affirms the fact that what he promises the students upon enlistment is the truth.
“People sometimes think everything I promise them sounds too good to be true. But I have seen it all come true, many times over,” Cosentino said.
Even his own son benefited from joining the National Guard, Consentino said. Not only did he have four years at the University of Northern Iowa paid for, but he also received multiple payment benefits from monthly drill checks, GI payments and payments from joining the ROTC program.
“Seeing the difference in a person the minute they raise their hand and join is amazing. They are proud to be a member of the Iowa National Guard. I enjoy watching all the things I tell them that is going to happen, happen. They get the job I promised them,” Cosentino said.
Dutcher added, “I would say that a bulk of the students that have enlisted were happy with their decision. Like I said before, it›s not for everyone, but for the right person, it is a great opportunity.”
“This lifestyle is not for everyone. It is a large time commitment,” Dutcher said.
Deployment, of course, is also always a possibility. Lorenzen said he likely will be called up to Kuwait next summer. He realizes that is a part of the trade-off, and, for him, the Guard was the right move.
“The National Guard helped me out a lot. They paid for my tuition and provided me with great opportunities,” Lorenzen said.
Lorenzen signed into the National Guard as a food specialist, a job requiring him to inspect the food provided to the soldiers to ensure it is safe to eat. Once he signed up and qualified for this job, he had his tuition paid for, and received a $13,000 signing bonus as well.
Cosentino, who has 25 years of military service, has worked with numerous high school students who are transitioning into college to help them decide if joining the National Guard is the right path for them.
“In order to receive 100 percent tuition, all you have to do is complete Basic Combat Training BCT (10 weeks) and Advanced Individual Training AIT (10+ weeks,)” Consentino said. “As soon as you complete those two things you come back to Iowa and start college.”
Once BCT and AIT are completed, the soldier must attend drill one weekend out of each month, as well as attend annual training. Annual training last for two weeks out of the summer and must be attended annually for six years after joining. The National Guard pays for 100 percent tuition as soon as the soldier completes AIT.
The tuition payment covers all class expenses as well as books and additional fees. It doesn’t, however, cover the soldier’s room and board. The National Guard also doesn’t pay for private colleges. The National Guard will, however, pay for any state funded college. For Iowa, this includes DMACC, ICCC, UNI, ISU, and University of Iowa.
Dutcher, the high school counselor, said sees about one to two students join the National Guard every year. The National Guard is the most commonly enlisted branch of the military among the students at Ogden High School.
“I’ve been working with Cosentino for six years now, helping kids decide which path is right for them,” he said.
Dutcher said that the motivation behind their enlistment is usually tied to the financial benefits that come with becoming a soldier in the National Guard.
Tuition for college is not easily affordable for some families, he said. “If your family’s income is something that doesn’t allow for college tuition, then I would recommend joining the National Guard as an option. For the right person, it is a good choice,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher says that most students are satisfied with the opportunities that become available to them through the financial benefits that come with National Guard.
“There are many benefits for both college payment and for expenses later in life that come with joining the National Guard,” he said.
The Guard also supplies health care benefits, life-insurance, retirement payments and more.
“Many students sign on for the college payment, not even realizing just how much the other benefits can help them,” Dutcher said.
To apply for the National Guard, the applicant must be a junior in high school and at least 17 years of age and under 35 years of age. If they meet these requirements, then they can enlist with a recruiter. Those still in high school must enlist with parental consent.
“I will have to pre-qualify them to see if they are eligible to join the military. Not everyone can join,” Cosentino said. Other restrictions are applied during the enlistment process. Convicted felons and those with severe disabilities may not be able to apply. The applicant must also be a U.S. citizen or a “legal permanent resident alien,” according to Guard information. They need to be able to pass the standard level of physical ability, which is measured using a version of the Army physical fitness test or APFT.
In most states the National Guard requires its soldiers to have a high school diploma. Before enlisting, the applicant is required to take a standardized test known as the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). This test will measure the applicant’s knowledge in eight fields to determine which career path in the National Guard is best for them. The areas include math, science, word knowledge, electronics, mechanics and auto/shop skills.
Students wanting to enlist before going to college so they can acquire financial aid can attend basic training in between their junior and senior year of high school. They then can complete their training by attending AIT after graduation but before going to college.
The National Guard also assists students with classes and training courses that certify soldiers in a number of career fields such as nursing and technology. Since soldiers become certified in their line of work during their service, finding a job once they retire comes easy, Consentino said.
Cosentino agrees that the benefits for soldiers are great for the right person. He affirms the fact that what he promises the students upon enlistment is the truth.
“People sometimes think everything I promise them sounds too good to be true. But I have seen it all come true, many times over,” Cosentino said.
Even his own son benefited from joining the National Guard, Consentino said. Not only did he have four years at the University of Northern Iowa paid for, but he also received multiple payment benefits from monthly drill checks, GI payments and payments from joining the ROTC program.
“Seeing the difference in a person the minute they raise their hand and join is amazing. They are proud to be a member of the Iowa National Guard. I enjoy watching all the things I tell them that is going to happen, happen. They get the job I promised them,” Cosentino said.
Dutcher added, “I would say that a bulk of the students that have enlisted were happy with their decision. Like I said before, it›s not for everyone, but for the right person, it is a great opportunity.”