What would you do to get your education completely funded? Duck and weave through fields of landmines and live grenades? Stand on the front lines of warfare and open fire?

The branches of the U.S. military offer attractive incentives, including full sponsorship of a college or vocational education. That alone seems like reason enough to join.

Making the decision to join the armed forces for the sole purpose of financial gain undermines the duty and honor that the military symbolizes. The heart of military service is service, not money.

However, the rising cost of education has students exhausting all possible sources of financial aid. A sense of helplessness could make some vulnerable to joining the military for the payday.

One student loan company, Premiere Student Loans, suggests that students capitalize on the monetary benefits of military service.

Its website mentions the experiential benefits of joining the armed forces. Mostly, it urges students to use the military as a personal sponsor. The site even gives tips on how to “take advantage” of the Montgomery Government Issue College Bill.

The GI Bill helps cover certain costs, like education or buying a home, for both war veterans and those who serve during times of peace.

It is the company’s mission to help students find ways to fund their college education, but to showcase the military’s GI Bill as a definitive answer to their money problems is misleading.

Instead of focusing on the dollar signs, think about the honor of serving the country and the opportunities that arise with a background in military training.

“The first core value (of the military) is integrity,” said Lt. Col. James Hawkins, director of Sac State’s Detachment 88 Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program. “If someone joins just for the money, they’re not being honest to themselves or to the service.”

But ROTC might point you in the right direction.

“Once you get into the program, you see that it’s a lot more than (just the money),” Hawkins said.

With the right motives, enlisting in the armed forces is a good option and solid opportunity to better your future.

“At first, it’s hard to wake up in the morning. Not everyone gets up at 5 a.m. to work out and run,” said junior management information systems major Alexander Loyola, a cadet in the Air Force ROTC program.

The program, though just a taste of the full Air Force experience, poses rigorous challenges to its cadets. But the program allows a glimpse of the exciting opportunities that come along with the commitment.

“The thought of being an officer in the United States Air Force (has) started to grow on me. It’s a great opportunity to see and do things that I wouldn’t get to do as a civilian,” Loyola said.

But the choice to serve and protect the country is a huge responsibility. Not everyone is equipped for that commitment, no matter how attractive the benefits are.

There could even be some great opportunities right in your neighborhood. It’s just a matter of knowing where to find them.

Some grocery stores offer tuition reimbursements for student employees. Other companies offer fee waivers or tuition assistance. Money is an obstacle, but there is always a way around that problem.

You don’t have to dodge bullets to pay for your education.

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