BDCP and NROTC

[frcabot]

Hello,

I received a 4 year NROTC scholarship to UCLA but the value of my scholarship (since tuition is so cheap) including stipend is about $10K/year or about $40K for 4 years.

BDCP for 2 years taking into account BAH rates for Los Angeles, BAS, and base pay would be about $50K/year or $100K/2 years. Obviously BDCP is much more lucrative than NROTC, although the NROTC scholarship is supposedly a higher honor.

Here's what I would like to do ideally:
Take NROTC for 2 years, then transfer and do BDCP for the remaining two.

Is this possible? Are NROTC midshipmen or former midshipmen eligible for BDCP in any way shape or form?

What would y'all do if you were in my shoes? How competitive is BDCP? I'm scared of declining my NROTC scholarship because I may end up with nothing at all.

Jason
Class of '08
UCLA

 

[Thisguy]

I would go ROTC. If you do what you're proposing, you would put up with ROTC stuff for 2 years, then have to go to OCS. Minimize your pain. Also, you've already been accepted, so if you don't try to kill someone in college, you should earn your commission.

The only upside I see to doing BDCP (besides the monetary and leave benefits), is that you can do things like Intel, supply, etc, but if you're interested in a URL community, go ahead and accept the scholarship.

Also, I don't know how you're coming up with your $50K a year calculation:

E-3 pay (2005, 0 years): 1456.25
BAH (LA):1123
BAS: 220 (me estimating Enlisted BAS)

Monthly total: 2799.25, yearly total: $33,591 (before tax, before you factor in your tuition)

Your ROTC scholarship covers your tuition, plus tuition increases, trust me, they'll go up every year. I guess my point is, if your goal is to be a naval officer, take the sure thing.

 

[jg5343]

I have to agree with him although I am in BDCP. I know that if you are on contract then the recruiter can not even talk to you. So that would mean that you would have to quit ROTC just to apply for BDCP. That takes months, then worry about getting accepted. If you don't get BDCP then you have to beg to get back into ROTC and will probably lose your scholarship. Also keep in mind you can quit ROTC after one year with no penalty, but if you continue into your 2nd year and quit, you owe then for every dime they spent on you. Trust me, I had to pay every bit of what my wife owed for 2 years of tuition at U of Maryland because she hated ROTC. Go ROTC since you are in. If you hate it, quit after the 1st year, and if you have a technical degree plan, BDCP will pay for the remaining 3 years. Good Luck!

 

[jg5343]

Oh, BTW, This guy si right about the pay. I am an E5 and have 8 years in, still only clearing about $44k with all allowances.

<<-----100 Posts!!!! Yeah!!!!

 

[frcabot]

Thanks.

I'm pretty much decided on NROTC anyways seeing as how I cannot come up with the funds for the first two years of college by myself.

BTW, NROTC Stipend is not 450/month (no where near it, lol)
It's:
-$250/month Freshman Year
-$300/month Soph Year
-$350/month Junior Year
-$400/month Senior Year.

Also, BAH is LA is much more than in Houston, TX. LOL!

I called an officer recruiter who made it pretty clear that if I took even one dollar from NROTC I could forget about BDCP, so the only thing I was pretty much considering was turning down the NROTC Scholarship and applying for BDCP at the end of my Sophomore year.

The reason I bring this up is not because I want to cheat the Navy out of money but because I have been emancipated since age 14, have significant debt and could really use the money.

Sorry about the Double Posts

 

[Thisguy]

Oh, BTW, This guy si right about the pay. I am an E5 and have 8 years in, still only clearing about $44k with all allowances.

<<-----100 Posts!!!! Yeah!!!!

Heh, I'm O-1 with less than 2 years and you make more than me! ha ha. Another thing to note about BDCP is that it's mainly for people who decide to join the Navy after you start college. If you decide in high school to go, a ROTC scholarship is a good way to get a top notch education at UCLA for the cost of room and board. I went straight to OCS, and I still have student loans!!!

 

[frcabot]

Unfortunately, room and board is the most expensive thing here for a resident! LOL!
My Room + Board comes out to a little over 10K/year.