[Have Your Say]

The Army is planning its first further education bursary scheme to help students who want to join the Army as soldiers. Should the army offer money for education?

The scheme is currently being piloted in London and the North West and will be available nationwide from September.

Higher education students who want to join the Army and are starting college in September will be able to apply for bursaries for the next school year.

Is the bursary scheme a good idea? Should the Army offer soldiers grants for education as incentives? Would funding for education encourage you to join the Army? Are you taking part in the pilot scheme?

[flugelr]

I think you will find that the bursary scheme has been running for many years now.

I know two people currently on bursaries (not a pilot scheme - the full thing).

[snorty_swirl]

i would consider it, but i have a long list of medical issues that would prevent them from considering me. I think it is a good idea. The Brunei army currently pays a bunch of my brothers friends school fees (best school in country) as well as giving them a salary (they have nice cars grr) and yet Brunei never really gets involved in any wars, mainly it just trains and goes to help in disaster areas

[3105]

I'm considering joining the armed forces anyway so yes, if it comes to it. Surely it wont work as an incentive (as GM15 has pointed out), you would really have to want to join the army to do it.

[Apagg]

Originally Posted by flugelr

I think you will find that the bursary scheme has been running for many years now.

I know two people currently on bursaries (not a pilot scheme - the full thing).

I believe the difference is that the previous scheme was aimed only at officers, whereas this new scheme extends to regular soldiers.

[snoogy]

Something about the system doesn't sit comfortably with me. It'd make sense for those considering that kind of career anyway but the rest I'd feel like it's kinda bribing us towards joining the army/navy to avoid student debt. I think that'd be pretty unfair unless all requirements are explained.

[flugelr]

Originally Posted by Apagg

I believe the difference is that the previous scheme was aimed only at officers, whereas this new scheme extends to regular soldiers.

Oh, sorry. I didn't read the post correctly. My bad there

[gm15]

Surely the only reason people with a military career in mind go to uni is so they can go to officer training. This bursary seems pointless to me.

[Elipsis]

I was under the impression that if you had a degree you were pretty much guaranteed to enter the army as an officer? I don't really understand the purpose of this scheme though I have to say.