Originally Posted by
b1ueskies
You're not wrong. I agree, it's not easy to do either of those things. I also can't imagine trying to work during school to pay for tuition and rent; sounds grueling, but people do it. It's not impossible.
Besides, if you're competitive enough in ROTC to garner a pilot slot, you're almost certainly eligible for a scholarship; if not before you enroll, then certainly after your first year or two. AND, if you have the sort of grit required to sustain yourself and get decent grades, again, you're probably highly competitive for a scholarship.
I'll concede that ebbs and flows... but in today's climate, I think that correlation largely holds true. I can't speak to the Academy; doubt I was smart enough to get in.
While there are certainly exceptions, by and large with the average price of tuition, the working your way through school isn't nearly as doable as it was 20 years ago. Plus, aside from a part time gig for spending money, a student in college should spend the majority of his efforts studying, not struggling to stay afloat. Otherwise they are going to struggle to complete their studies in a reasonable time with a satisfactory GPA.