The Army Chaplain Recruiting Branch has announced the following programs in the February 2007 Chief of Chaplains newsletter.

For ordained clergy who have already earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or master degree in religious studies of at least 72 hours, who have completed at least two years of pastoral ministry, and who are otherwise qualified to serve as a chaplain in the Army Reserve, the Army will now repay your student loans up to $20,000 in exchange for three years in the Army Reserve.

The Selected Reserves is currently offering a Chaplain Loan Repayment Program (CLRP) to attract qualified clergy who have completed their civilian education and have outstanding school loans. For a three year service obligation, a qualified individual may receive up to $20,000 in loan repayments. The loan must originate from a qualified lending institution, be incurred in the pursuit of the professional degree which qualifies a person for the chaplaincy and be verified prior to signing the written agreement for the CLRP. The loan repayment will be paid in amounts not exceeding $6,666.66 at the end of each qualifying year. The individual must request in writing the payment of each annual installment. Current chaplain candidates may not participate in this program.

This is a new incentive for clergy to serve as Reserve chaplains. This seems to be a very good deal considering the commitment is only three years.

There is also a bonus available, though I doubt an individual can receive both the loan repayment and the bonus.

A $10,000 bonus for newly accessioned officers, payable upon successful completion of the Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC) and assignment to a USAR Troop Program Unit (TPU) is currently available.

There is also help available for chaplain candidates.

The USAR provides Tuition Assistance for Chaplain Candidates up to $4,500 per year (Contact Dale Spannbauer, Fort McCoy, WI at 608-388-5072).

Chaplain candidates should be aware that they will owe a year to the Army Reserve for every year of tuition assistance received. Thus, if a chaplain candidate receives tuitition assistance but decides to go on active duty with the regular Army before completing his Reserve commitment, he will be required to repay the tuition assistance monies to the Reserve.

If you have questions about these programs, I will do what I can to answer them. However, the best qualified people to help you are here:

For more information on qualifications for U.S. Army chaplaincy, visit the website at http://chaplain.goarmy.com or call 866-684-1571 and follow the prompts to reach your local Chaplain Recruiting Team (CRT) who can answer your questions.