He received a two-year scholarship to go to Fort Valley College, a black state college in Georgia, for his work in the local 4-H organization. Unfortunately, Fort Valley College's limited art curriculum made it difficult for him to explore a range of media. He did, however, spend one summer painting murals in Atlanta during this time. Andrews' grades were poor, so when his scholarship ran out, he left college to join the U.S. Air Force. He trained in Texas before serving as a staff sergeant in Korea. While serving in the military, Andrews regularly sent his earnings home to support his mother and younger siblings. Having served from 1950 to July 1954, when he received an honorable discharge, Andrews used the G.I. Bill to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was trained as an abstract expressionist and received his BFA. Prior to beginning his education at the Art Institute of Chicago, Andrews had never set foot in a museum. His professor Boris Margo helped Andrews discover his own personalized art style during this time and encouraged Andrews to experiment with combining painting and collage techniques. While earning his BFA, Andrews also worked as an illustrator for record companies and created advertisements for various Chicago theater companies. He also regularly created and sold sketches of Chicago's jazz scene.