TopGun1221
Registered User
What are the advantages / disadvantages of PLC -vs- MECEPS ? How does each one work ? Which is the better route ?
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PLC -vs- MECEPS
- Thread starter TopGun1221
- Start date
Check out Crowbar's thread for info about MECEP. Essentially, MECEP is the best deal in the Corps. You remain on active duty, and your duty is to be a full-time college student. You are given 48 months to earn your undergraduate degree, go to OCS for six weeks during the summer after your first year of college, graduate, and then are commissioned as a 2ndLt and report to TBS. All your time in college counts towards TIG/TIS, you retain your enlisted MOS during school (so you are promoted on that schedule), and all your time counts towards retirement. Crowbar's thread will cover the rest.
However, MECEP is very competetive. You also must already be a Marine. If you are just joe college student, PLC is a great program. You will apply with an OSO, and send in a package for either an air (SNA, SNFO)slot, or a ground slot (all other MOS's). Upon your selection you will go to OCS during the summer for two 6 week increments or one 10 week increment depending upon how much college you have under your belt. Upon graduation you will commission and the MECEP, PLC, NROTC, and Academy commissioning sources all merge at that point as you head to TBS.
The money in PLC is the least of all programs. After you complete at least one summer of training you may request MCTAP (Marine Corps Tuition Assistance Program) which gives you $5k per semester toward tuition. However, nothing's free and this will extend your contract by a year and reset your PEBD. You may also request FAP (Financial assistance program) and recieve $1300 per semester for a mere 6 month contract extension.
If you're a civilian, PLC is the most practical way to go.
The money in PLC is the least of all programs. After you complete at least one summer of training you may request MCTAP (Marine Corps Tuition Assistance Program) which gives you $5k per semester toward tuition. However, nothing's free and this will extend your contract by a year and reset your PEBD. You may also request FAP (Financial assistance program) and recieve $1300 per semester for a mere 6 month contract extension.
If you're a civilian, PLC is the most practical way to go.
Comparing PLC and MECEP is akin to comparing apples to pork chops. PLC's target audience is 'off the street' college freshmen through juniors. You either do one ten week session or two six week sessions at OCS. You can be prior service or not to get into it, you can also get selected while a reservist.
MECEP is (per the MARADMIN) A ENLISTED TO OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OUTSTANDING ENLISTED MARINES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS MARINE CORPS OFFICERS. So, yes, you have to already be a Marine to even be eligible for the program. In the past you had to be at least a Corporal to even be eligible, but that's changed, now you can be any rank and apply. If you're talking to an enlisted recruiter who's telling you about how easy MECEP is, then he's painting you an idealistic picture that you need to research a little more before diving right in. KBay and I have successfully completed the program and there are quite a few others who are in it right now. What KBay said is true. Pay, allowances, promotions, leave, TIG/TIS buildup, all nice. Going to college while on active duty, sweet. I don't know the selection numbers/rates for PLC, for MECEP it's typically ~100 per year, the selection rates change, it seems to go up a little every year.
PLC or MECEP you get commissioned, you can get flight guarantees, you go on and do great things (hopefully) as an officer. The big difference is where you start from.
MECEP is (per the MARADMIN) A ENLISTED TO OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OUTSTANDING ENLISTED MARINES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS MARINE CORPS OFFICERS. So, yes, you have to already be a Marine to even be eligible for the program. In the past you had to be at least a Corporal to even be eligible, but that's changed, now you can be any rank and apply. If you're talking to an enlisted recruiter who's telling you about how easy MECEP is, then he's painting you an idealistic picture that you need to research a little more before diving right in. KBay and I have successfully completed the program and there are quite a few others who are in it right now. What KBay said is true. Pay, allowances, promotions, leave, TIG/TIS buildup, all nice. Going to college while on active duty, sweet. I don't know the selection numbers/rates for PLC, for MECEP it's typically ~100 per year, the selection rates change, it seems to go up a little every year.
PLC or MECEP you get commissioned, you can get flight guarantees, you go on and do great things (hopefully) as an officer. The big difference is where you start from.
TopGun1221
Registered User
Now I understand that you have to be an enlisted Marine in order to qualify for Meceps , but how long do you have to be enlisted before you can apply ? Right before I was sent to iraq I was going to switch from the army to the marines just to go through the Meceps Program , that was 3 years ago , I'm kicking myself now for not doing it , but that's beside the point . anyway , the recruiter at that time said you had to be at least an E-4 ( I noticed that has changed ) and you have to have been in for at least 2 years . Is that still true as well ?
TopGun1221 said:
If you're enlisting so you can just walk right into the program, think again. It's not like enlistment, you have to go through this long drawn out application procedure where you're applying alongside NCOs and Staff NCOs who have been around and made a name for themselves.
Can you get accepted in<2 years? Probably. Will you? Probably not. Your first year to two years (especially in an aviation MOS) will be spent bouncing through your entry level training. Boot camp, SOI, A-school, FREST. Ballparking it, say they vary from 1 month (SOI) to 6 months (A school and/or FREST) in length each. So it will be hard for you to have established yourself anywhere in that amount of time. Once you get to your first real duty station, if all you ever talk about is getting commissioned it may come back to bite you. Nothing wrong with making it known, but to get where you want to be, first you need to learn your job and the basics of being a Marine. If you can't handle those things, nobody in their right mind would recommmend you for a commissioning program. So that takes time, too.
It's not impossible to get into the program but it does take a little time.
TopGun1221
Registered User
I agree with what your saying and the points you made were very informative . I didn't figure it would be that easy , just waltzing in so to speak . I was just wondering if the recruiter was blowing sunshine up my @$$ , most seem to do that . My local OSO is on leave , but is supposed to contact me about PLC after the first . But thanks for the reply , I appreciate it .