I'm teaching a group of high school kids here in Texas about "success skills" with a local volunteer organization and I'm sure that military stuff will come up at some point. I was going to tell them about the BDCP program because it seems like a good deal. My question is: What is the pay that you are making? Is it like and Officer Candidate (E-5 pay)? Or something else? If it is E-5 pay, that is a hell of a lot of money to a college kid.
It's E-3 pay for most jobs. That includes BAS and BAH. Basically every month I get 2 deposits of about $1250. It's a little less than that after TSP, but about that much.
NUPOC guys get E-5 pay and a signing bonus. We BDCP dudes can increase our pay rate to E-4 with two semesters of Dean's List or by bringing in a guy to the BDCP program. If you do both, you're making E-5. I don't know whether NUPOC guys are eligible for that upgrade.
After graduation pay increases to E-5 until commissioning.
Yes, it is a lot of money for a college student.
EDIT: But if like me you don't really take any money from the parents anymore, it goes fast. Rent, car payments, insurance, school, etc use up the money. In NROTC you can get school paid for completely plus stipend, which may or may not be a better deal depending on the school.