Above and beyond for education

by Airman 1st Class Sean D. Smith
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

2/10/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The Air Force provides an assortment of tools, incentives, and forms of assistance for Airmen who want to pursue their education - most notably Tuition Assistance, which helps pay for classes while on active duty; and the GI Bill, which can be used after a military member's career or even transferred to a dependent.

Between them it's thousands of dollars' worth of free college - but getting a degree while on active duty isn't always simple.

Airmen have demanding schedules, and finding time to fit in classes can be difficult. Deployments, unusual hours, temporary duty assignments, exercises - even just long workdays can keep an Airman out of the classroom.

Finding the time and energy aren't the only challenges; Airmen face the same struggles as civilian students who return to the classroom after taking a break from pursuing education.

"There isn't always time for college classes," said Master Sgt. Melanie Sampson, 5th Maintenance Group Maintenance Training Section superintendent. "You always find an excuse or a reason you can't attend."

Though the educational benefits are plentiful, the number of Airmen who take advantage of them is relatively low. Sampson went on the offensive, bringing college to her unit.

"I worked with one of the colleges here along with the education center, and I set up classes in our building," Sampson said. "So people who work together can take the classes together."

The classes that Sampson organized are geared more toward Community College of the Air Force degrees, but it's still college credit that can be applied to a four-year degree later. So far the turnout has been encouraging, and so has the response.

"It's outstanding," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Gross, 5th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment craftsman. "They work around our duty hours to make it easy. I love it, and if they offer more classes this way, I'll definitely take more."

"People flock to these classes," Sampson said. "They get to study with their peers in a familiar environment; there are so many people who take advantage of it who probably wouldn't without this setting."

Not all Airmen realize they can get college credit without leaving base, and even without going online. The education center hosts a variety of classes on base that offer transferable credits.

Some colleges will even work around Minot Air Force Base's busy exercise schedule, and a class can take as little as eight weeks. Classes are easy to get into on base, and Sampson's approach of bringing school to work once a week is something that most units could consider.

"They really thrive in the classroom because they know each other," Sampson said. "It's one night out of your week. You can't beat that."