"Other" Costs?

californiamomtoo

5-Year Member
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Mar 17, 2010
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Well, since this is all new to me... learning that textbooks will need to be paid for, are there any other large costs we should be aware of?
 
As Plebes, a Midshipman's pay is heavily docked for things like books, uniforms, etc. It's somewhat less so for Youngsters, because by then their uniforms are mostly paid for.

When it REALLY begins to matter is 2/C year. If you go nuts with your Midstore Card as a 3/C (and I did) you WILL NOT GET PAID until the balance is paid (i.e. - your paycheck will go toward paying the card until it's finished). Took me six weeks. :redface:

Once a Mid is a Mid, they need to purchase their own stuff like toiletries, cleaning supplies, study supplies, etc. If a Mid is responsible, it's manageable. If they're frugal, then even moreso.

Although it does help to get some money from home. :biggrin:

NAPSters who were smart (I was) had a lot of their NAPS pay socked away, which made Plebe Year a little more fun.

Remember, even the stuff that is "issued" to Plebes on I-Day is actually PAID FOR BY THEM over the coming year. Only Congress gets anything free from the taxpayer.
 
What Zaphod says is true. You "pay" for a lot of stuff your first two years without actually seeing the money. What happens is that, technically, you get paid a certain amount per month -- not sure what the amount is today. However, you don't actually SEE that amount the entire time you're at USNA. Most of that money is used to defray the costs of your initial issue, uniforms, textbooks, and other stuff. You actually get a very small amount per month as a plebe and that amount goes up each year. In my day, 4/c got $30/month, 3/C $60, 2/C $150 and Firsties (paying off those car loans) $330. Yep, still remember.:thumb:

As an aside, women pay more b/c (at least historically) we had to buy additional items, such as skirts and pumps and purses in addition to the same uniforms and shoes the guys get. Also, women's uniforms were more expensive b/c, at the time, all of our "dress" uniforms had to be custom made rather than bought "off the rack." Not sure if that's still true. Also, b/c women's uniforms were produced in much lower quantities, the same item for a female simply cost more. For example, I still remember that women's covers cost ~$60 (a HUGE sum in the days when plebes saw $30 per month from their account), whereas guys' covers ran ~$20. But I digress . . .:rolleyes:

If things are the same today, in addition to mandatory purchases such as uniforms and textbooks, you will be allowed to use your "account" money for certain items, such as books for "pleasure" reading, away game tickets, class ring (2/C year), and other stuff I've forgotten. It seems like "free money."

As Z says, the piper comes due eventually. I don't recall not getting paid. What I do recall is that, when you graduate, you get in cash (well, direct deposit) whatever funds are left in your account. In my day, that amount was somewhere between $500 and $5000, depending on your frugality. That may not seem like a huge amount today, but when you consider that this was 25 yrs ago and starting Ensign salaries were ~$18,000 per YEAR, it could be a lot of money.

Thus, for those of you who don't have funds flowing from home, exercise reasaonable frugality. You will really appreciate it on graduation day!
 
California Mom, Your biggest expense will be airline tickets to/from BWI.
The current pay for a mid is around 900.00, but a plebe will only see 100.00,
a 3/C 200.00, and a 2/C 300.00. The difference pays for the "free" issued stuff. Your mid will get a monthly Leave and Earning statement (LES) that shows the details.
 
Our pay is a percentage of an O-1's pay. (This only applies to Navy though b/c WP is based off E-3 or 5 and I believe AF is the same) Right now mids get $968/month subtract laundry "personal expenses" midcharges and uniforms and taxes. The scale that was said earlier is correct except firsties get everything that is left after those things are paid for. By firstie year you should have your loan paid off so the $200/month you pay for your loan is also gone. They normally get about 5ish/month in their accounts depending on state taxes and allotments. And instead of what 85 said, you get the money from your account after each year. Its $750 lump at the beginning of Youngster and 2/c year, and then whatever is left over at the start of firstie.

Also add in comrats which is $11/day now. And this past year the 2 for 7 was about 32k I believe.

Now take these numbers with a grain of salt because, in the words of a MidPers Supply Officer, "there isn't an account in the brigade that isn't screwed up". So, you can not put anything on your mid card and get nothing in held pay, or you can buy all of your books and school supplies and toiletries and clothes with your mid card and still get the max. It is more common than you think.

If you're really in a charitable mood, you could ask your congressman or somebody to audit the accounts b/c they don't listen to us when we ask to get our money in order...
 
If you're really in a charitable mood, you could ask your congressman or somebody to audit the accounts b/c they don't listen to us when we ask to get our money in order...

There wouldn't be any money when they were done. :mad:
 
How do scholarships effect net pay?

Ok, so what if a Plebe has say, $5000 in outside scholarship money being sent to the Academy, which goes into their account. Doesn't this go right toward paying off a chunk of their loan, which I believe is ~$8500? If so, I would think that their loan would get paid off more quickly (assuming their expenses/buying are on par)....and so if their loan gets paid off sooner, won't their net pay be much higher than the usual $100/month?
 
Ok, so what if a Plebe has say, $5000 in outside scholarship money being sent to the Academy, which goes into their account. Doesn't this go right toward paying off a chunk of their loan, which I believe is ~$8500? If so, I would think that their loan would get paid off more quickly (assuming their expenses/buying are on par)....and so if their loan gets paid off sooner, won't their net pay be much higher than the usual $100/month?

There has been a lot of discussion in the past about the circumstances under which scholarships can be applied. If I recall correctly, it depends on how the scholarship is worded. You might search this board back about a year or repost this as its own topic. And, yes, any funds that are applied will obviously result in more money to the mid at some point.

And instead of what 85 said, you get the money from your account after each year. Its $750 lump at the beginning of Youngster and 2/c year, and then whatever is left over at the start of firstie.

Well, things have obviously changed. Not surprising. This is a good thing if you know how to manage your money; not so good if you blow it all on summer cruise. I recall an effort around the time we left to make mids "more responsible" for their own finances so that they were better prepared when they went to the fleet. Maybe this was done to facilitate that.
 
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