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Career Starter Loan

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I see it that way, too. But some of us do need a little help to buy all of the stuff needed for OCS. I personally live very meager paycheck to very meager paycheck in a high cost of living area so I have not been able to save enough so far. Of course, I'm sure someone will find a way to twist that into irresponsibility and preparedness of being an Officer. But I'm figuring it out as best I can, I had only hoped for the CSL to help me out a bit.
Just curious what you really need to buy in order to show up at OCS and begin your training that requires a multi thousand dollar loan.
 

GlassBanger

IntelO
Contributor
Just from personal experience so far, I have a set of orders to OCS from BUPERS, which I received from the NRD detailer after my FINSEL came in. I don't have a CAC yet.
Oh, thanks for that. I'll keep that in mind! Recruiter says my FINSEL is drafted and awaiting final signature from the program manager, so I'm really just super excited to get my date!

Just curious what you really need to buy in order to show up at OCS and begin your training that requires a multi thousand dollar loan.
Well, I'm obviously not going to spend it all. The intent was to buy what I needed for OCS and pay off all my high interest debt that will not defer while I am gone, so that my boyfriend has ease of payment while I'm away. Right now the number of things we make payments on is a lot and spread out through various companies like USAA and NFCU, I wanted to consolidate for my own peace of mind and for his sake to manage on-time payments. I am usually the financier of our lives and now he has to assume that role. I'm sure he can manage with trial and error, but I'd rather guarantee success if I can. Then I planned to set the rest aside in savings until I graduate and can take the time to study on worthwhile investments. I'm not sure why you'd think someone would need a multi-thousand dollar loan exclusively for only OCS particulars?
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
SCRA means those interest rates will all drop to 6% once you're on active duty (in other words, once you're at OCS). There's paperwork involved to make it happen, but still...

Like @SynixMan mentioned, this isn't blazing a new trail. Lots of people have similar circumstances.

Consolidation and simplifying payments is smart though and a starter loan will beat 6%.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
Oh, thanks for that. I'll keep that in mind! Recruiter says my FINSEL is drafted and awaiting final signature from the program manager, so I'm really just super excited to get my date!


Well, I'm obviously not going to spend it all. The intent was to buy what I needed for OCS and pay off all my high interest debt that will not defer while I am gone, so that my boyfriend has ease of payment while I'm away. Right now the number of things we make payments on is a lot and spread out through various companies like USAA and NFCU, I wanted to consolidate for my own peace of mind and for his sake to manage on-time payments. I am usually the financier of our lives and now he has to assume that role. I'm sure he can manage with trial and error, but I'd rather guarantee success if I can. Then I planned to set the rest aside in savings until I graduate and can take the time to study on worthwhile investments. I'm not sure why you'd think someone would need a multi-thousand dollar loan exclusively for only OCS particulars?


So what's your plan B? Remember that loan doesn't go away if you attrite from OCS.

Time to show some of that initiative that a young wannabe officer says they have in their essay: read over the SCRA. It is the law that protects someone like yourself dealing with the financial stress that you are indeed dealing with as you get called to active duty. Your financial institutions should be very well versed in what they legally can and cannot do to you. Call them and tell them what's up. They'll also want a copy of your orders. You're not going to get screwed if you don't show up to OCS with the latest Under Armor, and your financial institutions can't penalize you for delaying payments because you were at OCS.
 

GlassBanger

IntelO
Contributor
So what's your plan B? Remember that loan doesn't go away if you attrite from OCS.

Time to show some of that initiative that a young wannabe officer says they have in their essay: read over the SCRA. It is the law that protects someone like yourself dealing with the financial stress that you are indeed dealing with as you get called to active duty. Your financial institutions should be very well versed in what they legally can and cannot do to you. Call them and tell them what's up. They'll also want a copy of your orders. You're not going to get screwed if you don't show up to OCS with the latest Under Armor, and your financial institutions can't penalize you for delaying payments because you were at OCS.
My plan B is to keep saving, of course. I have shown initiative and looked into SCRA. Which is why I said, "the ones I can't defer while I'm gone" (this includes real bills like utilities and rent at the home I share with my S.O.) and this is also to include the ones I can't reset to 6%, like the stuff in both our names or just his name on our behalf. We share in our debt we started to survive and build our life. I have called the institutions I have needed to thus far, to ask already. I'm a grown adult and have done the legwork before looking into the CSL. I am one to exhaust all options before even looking at something like this. I am not planning on showing up "with the latest Under Armour" and that comment was pretty uncalled for. I am fully aware of what happens to the loan if I attrite from OCS, it resets at 18%/19%. That is still less than my high interest debt and I would already have not spent a good deal of the CSL and could throw it at itself. As long as I've been on this forum, I will never understand why the vast majority of people that comment on AirWarriors have to attack others or be sarcastic and condescending when they ask for help and advice.

All this said, thanks for the help everyone.

Edit: typo.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
My question remains unanswered though - what particulars does one need to buy to begin training at OCS? I presume things like running shoes, etc, but I'm interested in what one is required to bring these days.
 

GlassBanger

IntelO
Contributor
My question remains unanswered though - what particulars does one need to buy to begin training at OCS? I presume things like running shoes, etc, but I'm interested in what one is required to bring these days.
The OCS website list is outdated, but mostly accurate still. The biggest expense for me will be sports and regular bras, and socks. My sports bras run about $60 a piece and I need 5, in addition to regular bras which are $50 a piece and I need 3-5. I own these things already, but not in the right colors. Boot socks are $16 a pair and it has been recommended to me to get 8 pairs.

I already have Brooks running shoes, but OCS issues New Balance now and requires you run your tests in them. I will also be getting 5 pairs of compression shorts for under my PT shorts because I have thick thighs and the chaffe is real. I didn't even know this was authorized until a recent female grad informed me, otherwise I would've sucked it up.

Other than little essentials like toiletries and stamps and such, those are the biggest expenses.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I already have Brooks running shoes, but OCS issues New Balance now and requires you run your tests in them.

Why, in 2018, does the Navy continue to do this? Rewind 24 years ago and I had to run in issued New Balance and surprise, not everyone's foot/gait are the same and those NB shoes caused all kinds of knee problems. I get it, uniformity, but why cause future health issues when we now have the science to build the right shoe for each person?

/soapbox

In other news, guess who claimed knee issues on his VA claim...and may just be getting it for each knee?
 

GlassBanger

IntelO
Contributor
Why, in 2018, does the Navy continue to do this? Rewind 24 years ago and I had to run in issued New Balance and surprise, not everyone's foot/gait are the same and those NB shoes caused all kinds of knee problems. I get it, uniformity, but why cause future health issues when we now have the science to build the right shoe for each person?

/soapbox
I'm not sure why they started this for OCS. It is relatively recent. I'm disappointed because my Brooks are awesome and amazing for running. I don't like New Balance at all. Oh well lol
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
Tangent about footwear and OCS:

Many years ago they had a pair of worn out uniform shoe heels, ground down from 13 weeks of some motor's intense "drive your heels to the deck" marching. Said heels were mounted on a plaque as an example of what all of us candidates should strive to be. I think the word "discipline" was under one heel and "intensity" under the other. It sounds really neat when you can get a whole platoon doing this in perfect synch and many of us were dumb enough to buy this line and ended up giving ourselves ortho problems. Or maybe it was an intelligence test in disguise and I failed it...
 

Matty Morocco

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure why they started this for OCS. It is relatively recent. I'm disappointed because my Brooks are awesome and amazing for running. I don't like New Balance at all. Oh well lol
I don't want to derail the thread too much, but where are you getting this information? I've been told from several sources (including the NETC website packing list and the handbook they give when you sign the papers and swear in) to bring your own shoes, two pairs if you can afford it: one for wearing and the other for display.

EDIT: just checked and they added a banner at the top explaining this new policy.
 
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