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College funding through OCS

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doubledown

Registered User
If you go to OCS (for PLC program) and pass, you get paid close to $2,000, and you can take a certain amount of money for college. My OSO told me I don't have to pay it back if I join, but if I don't I'd have to pay it back. I read on this site though that if you take the money you are obligated to join. I have another 3 years before I would even go to TBS, and a lot can change in that time. I want to know what are my options with taking the money. What will happen if I take the money and then decide later not to join.

I've also heard from various sources that once I go to OCS, I will want to join no matter what. What is the feeling among other people who've been there and been undecided before going?
 
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DakUSMC

Registered User
There are two different programs available: FAP (Financial Assistance Program) and MCTAP (Marine Corps Tuition Assistance Program). FAP directly pays you approximately $300/month after OCS to spend on whatever you want. MCTAP pays tuition money directly to your school up to about $5000/year.

If you take either program and disenroll from PLC, you'll have to pay it back. MCTAP allows for you to pay it back by serving as active duty enlisted. Also, by taking MCTAP, your pay date starts when you go on active duty, whereas by taking FAP, your pay entry date is whenever you first contracted for PLC. That can make a lot of difference in pay once you start on active duty.

There are other conditions on both programs, but I think that covers the basics. Your OSO should definitely know more about it, but sometimes they forget that we don't know everything they do.

I know after I completed OCS, I had my mind made up and took FAP.

Dak
 
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The_Goat

Registered User
I don't mean to steal this thread but what if you get a commission, do you have to pay back the money? This has beenm explained to me before but they never answered this specific question.
Thanks,
John
 
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orthaj

Registered User
If you get commissioned, you don't have to pay any money back. If you get NPQed not phyiscally qualified you don't have to pay any money back. If you quit/ DOR drop on request you do have to pay the govt back. From what I understand however is that the govt DFAS wont pay / reimburse for tuition and expenses you until you complete PLC jrs. If you DOR from JRS there is no mark against you. If you screw up in school after PLC Jrs and your grades take a dive you get dropped from PLC, then I don't know what happens. That is the skinny on that, an OSO can tell you more on this than I.
 
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doubledown

Registered User
does anyone know the interest rate at which you have to pay the money back? My OSO said he thought it wouldn't be much, but a family friend, who's an officer in the Navy, said it would probably be pretty high.
 
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itoh

7580
If you go to OCS undecided, you wont make it.
as far as the FAP and MCTAP, FAP extends your contract for 6 months unless you are flight/NFO contract and it pays like 300 a month for every month you're in school from PLC juniors completion until graduation. MCTAP is not something you want to take (especially if you're flight contract). You would be better off taking financial aid from your school as your PEBD gets pushed back by several years and that can equal forgone salary of tens of thousands of dollars over a course of 10 years.
 
EA-6B1

EA-6B1

PLC Jrs 1st Inc. Kilo-3
I recieved all the MCTAP and FAP paper work from my OSO this week. I haven't had a chance to talk to him, but I was wondering what obligations one has by taking FAP. I'm currently on a ground contract, but I plan on component changing to SNA within the next 6 months. If I take FAP as a ground contract, and then switch to air, does it add time to my service comittment? Thanks a lot.
 
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UORBulldog

New Member
Fap

I just turned in the paperwork for the FAP, and the secretary at my OSO told me that the payments are going to be in lump sum form for each semester, one in November and then one in February.

Question: Is it true that the FAP does NOT add 6 months of service to air contracts? Hey if not than it is free money for air contracts. Just don't decide to DOR and you'll be paying it back or enlisting for a couple years. I'm pretty sure if you mess up in school that just voids your PLC contract and so your FAP would just stop coming but I dont think you would be in any debt then, it just terminates it. I don't know though
 
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