Not sure?
College? Trades?
Army? Compare the options here.
This is the one place for everything I post. Follow me on any platform. When you are ready, get a straight comparison of pay, skills and tuition for the Army, college and the trades, with your numbers and no sales pitch.
Your monthly number
Pick a rank and a ZIP. No name, no contact, no form first.
2026 DFAS pay (E-1 shown after four months) plus 2026 DTMO housing for your ZIP. Estimates for comparison, not a promise. The full calculator adds barracks, tax advantage, healthcare, retirement, and the civilian match. *Eligibility varies.
How this works
A few quick questions. No obligation, and sending the form does not enlist you in anything.
Get your breakdown
Pay, skills and tuition, Army vs college vs trades, with your numbers. The request goes through the official U.S. Army Eligibility Form. A few quick questions.
No step here first: the button opens the official form straight away. The form asks for your age and education. It asks what matters most to you. Those answers go straight into the Army's official system.
Start the official eligibility formOpens the official U.S. Army Eligibility Form in a new tab.
You are on your way to the official form.
Finish the form in the new tab and your request is in the Army's official system. Then I follow up myself, by text, with your breakdown. If you send it between 8am and 8pm Eastern, you hear back within the hour. After hours, it is within 12 hours. Tell me to stop and I stop.
Didn't finish? Nothing was sent unless you hit submit on the form. Reopen the official form whenever you're ready.
Not ready to give the Army your number? Fair. DM me “numbers” on Instagram and I will send the breakdown there instead.
Rather ask something first? Questions sent 8am–8pm Eastern get an answer within the hour; after hours, within 12 hours.
Not sure you qualify, or curious about part-time service? Run the quick check · Show this to your family · How the Army Reserve works
Where your request goes
Your request goes straight into the Army's official system through the eligibility form. It is picked up like any other Army lead. Then you get your breakdown: pay, skills and tuition, side by side with college and the trades.
Start where you are
The Numbers
Pay by rank, housing by ZIP code, and the civilian salary it would take to match it. Run the calculator and see your number.
Run the calculator → Then the human sideThe Life
Nine years in uniform, a son at home, and the hard parts, told straight by me.
Read my story →Not sure you qualify? Quick check
A lot of what people assume is an automatic no turns out to be a question to ask. If any of these sound like you, it does not mean no. It means ask, with your records in hand. No page can tell you whether you qualify. Only the official process can.
Medical history. Asthma, ADHD, an old injury, a surgery. MEPS looks at how serious it is, your treatment history, and whether it affects safe duty. Bring your records. A diagnosis alone does not decide it.
Tattoos. The rules have changed over the years, and they depend on placement and content. Ask rather than assuming.
A past charge or ticket history. Some history can be reviewed case by case. Be fully honest about it. Leaving things out causes more trouble than the history itself.
Past drug use. Honesty and time matter, and each case is reviewed on its own facts. Do not guess at what counts.
Glasses or eyesight. Corrected vision is common. The standard is what you can see with correction, and it varies by job.
School or test scores. The ASVAB places you into fields. It is not an IQ test. Ask what your score opens up, and what prep paths exist.
How it actually works. Your recruiter puts the packet together. MEPS does the medical exam and flags what does not meet the standard. The Army's waiver authority decides whether to make an exception, not MEPS and not your recruiter. Some things cannot be waived under current policy. Approval is never guaranteed.
If one of these is the reason you have not started, that is exactly what the question box is for.
*Eligibility varies. Nothing here guarantees eligibility or any outcome.
Army vs college vs trades, at a glance
The short version. For your own numbers, run the calculator.
| Army | College | Trades | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay while you learn | Base pay from $2,225.70 a month (E-1, 2026), $2,407.20 after four months, plus housing and food allowances | You pay tuition, and work part-time if you can fit it around classes | Paid from day one as an apprentice; the rate varies by trade and shop |
| Tuition help | Up to $4,500 a year in tuition assistance while you serve | Scholarships and grants if you get them, or loans you repay after | Many shops pay for training and licenses; varies by employer |
| Job training | 200+ jobs, trained full-time, with civilian certs along the way | Degree first, then the job hunt | Learn on the job from day one, and finish with a license that shows you finished an apprenticeship |
| Housing, food, healthcare | Housing and food allowances plus full healthcare coverage | You cover rent, food, and insurance yourself | Depends on the employer; varies a lot |
| Time commitment | Full-time contracts run 2 to 6 years depending on the job. The Reserve is part-time near home | 2 to 4 years for a degree, longer if you pause | An apprenticeship runs a few years, then you journey out |
| When you finish | Veteran hiring preference plus education benefits for later school | Degree in hand, job hunt after graduation | A licensed trade you can take anywhere |
Army figures are the ones published on this page: 2026 pay from the Army's pay chart (DFAS), and $4,500 a year in tuition assistance. College and trade costs vary by school and shop. Estimates for comparison, not a promise. *Eligibility varies.
Your information
The short version: this page does not ask for your name or contact info, and does not collect or store your form answers. The breakdown button sends you to the official U.S. Army Eligibility Form, with a short applicant code added. Your answers go into the Army's own system. Like most sites, this page uses basic tracking tools to see which posts people come from.
Ready when you are
Same official form, same deal: this page collects none of your form answers, and sending the form does not enlist you.
Start the official eligibility form