Something else to consider is what the future holds. My son got invited to the Air Force Academy. He ended up not accepting which was a huge mistake in my view. He initially said he wasn’t interested in going into the Air Force as why. I tried pointing out all the facts to him. Yes, he had to give them a 4 year stint after graduation. But they pay for all your college. They pay you while you go to college. You get one of the best educations in the country. You do your 4 years in the military as an officer which means higher pay and better benefits than enlisted. If you like it you can stay in for 20 years and retire, collecting a pension when you are 40 years old. You could then go get another job, work another 20 years and get another pension. If you don’t like it after 4 years, you have a great education AND real world experience in your field AND leadership experience so you are far more marketable than someone who just went to college.
He reconsidered but still rejected it. He has since told me he wished he had taken that opportunity.