Academic requirements are very high for BDCP. It is tough to get a NROTC scholorship, but those are HS students that may or may not do so well in college. BDCP guys have a track record in college and their GPAs, on average, are probably higher on graduation than ROTC and even USNA. BDCP is an absolute committment to they Navy in a specific designator as much as three years from graduating. If you fail to graduate you go enlisted. That is hanging over your head from the first day you cash a check. And yes the ROTC/USNA quys can back out up to two years after joining. BDCP people are counted against OCS quotas in advance. It tends to smooth out OCS manning. Personally, I would like to see them do something like PLC or the old AVROC program. It isn't too much to ask. BTW, the program was intorduced in the mid '80s when I was a LT active duty recruiter. If it was not worth the money they would have figured it out by now.
