Cost of Prep Schools

FlyBoy1993

10-Year Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Messages
272
Why would one prep school be approximately $12k, another $16k, and yet another a whopping $41k for full year tuition, fees, and uniforms?

They all claim to have what it takes to prepare the candidate for an appointment. Why the wide range of cost, if they do the same job?
 
I'm looking at the prep schools too. Valley Forge is pretty expensive, I think over 40k. Marion, the one in Alabama, is only about 6K I believe. The other ones are somewhere in between. For some people, going to a higher priced school seems like a good idea just because they are closer to it.

For me, personally, it is going to come down to a visit. I'm going to visit my top 3 prep schools, because there is only so much I can learn from the internet.

If price really is a prohibitive factor for you, consider balancing the cost of tuition with flights/airline costs. Merely going to the lowest priced one may balance out if you have to fly there and home every break.
 
You also need to take into consideration what the Civil Prep school will offer you in terms of a Grant, if you have an AOG.

MMI -
Tuition: $18,820
Grant: $9,500 and a uniform reimbursement of $970 second semester if you met ROTC requirements 1st semester

NMMI -
Tuition: $12,750
Grant: $1,000

Valley Forge -
Tuition: $39,290
Grant: $19,000 and a uniform reimbursement of $1,100 second semester if you met ROTC requirements 1st semester

Georgia Military College:
Tuition: $19,026
Grant: $6,000-$10,500

Add in your AOG scholarship amount and you will get a truer idea of what each will cost.
 
Thanks for sharing that, but again, why is Valley Forge twice as expensive?

( yes, DS has an AOG and multiple public schollies, so at this point my question is strictly out of curiosity)
 
Not sure why one would be so much more than another, but here at NMMI, there are tons of scholarships available. A West Point sponsored friend of mine is going here virtually for free just because he applied and received so many scholarships, on top of his AOG scholarship. So be sure you check that out as well, if the schools give scholarships on the side.
 
NMMI

NMMI is a land grant school, with holdings of natural gas and oil. That is why it is so inexpensive. My son is a self prep at NMMI. I am very pleased with how the program has prepared him academically, physically, and socially. The lifestyle is grueling and will push you to your limits (hopefully it will bring out the best in you, like it has for my DS).
Best wishes!
Ozzy's Mom
 
To: OZZYMOM - Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

To Buff81: You are passing bad info here. Please allow me to rectify.

NMMI "yearly costs" for all but books is $10871.00 not $12750.00. All sponsored preps get in-state rates. Self preps may have to pay the higher prices.

NMMI has the same program for "uniform reimbursement" as Marion. It's called "Commutation Pay" and is awarded if the cadet passes the APFT as administered by the Army ROTC program. Since all NMMI cadets are enrolled in ROTC and actively pursuing a commission, they are eligible regardless of the SA they are applying for.

The "grant" you site is not accurate. The WP AoG awards $3k, The Falcon Foundation awards $5k and the MMA gives $4k. The USNA Foundation scholarship is based on family finances. As was already stated, many other scholarships are available.


All NMMI costs can be found at: http://www.nmmi.edu/prep/prepcosts.htm

I hope this helps others who are investigating the different Prep Schools.

V/R - Don
 
To: FlyBoy1993

I can't speak for the other schools. In a "FAQ" section on our website (the #2 question actually) you will find:

"Q. I've looked at your on-line costs and I'm skeptical that you can provide all you say for so little. Is there a "catch" or hidden cost that you aren't publishing?
A. The answer to this is that NMMI is a "State School" and a land-grant school. Unlike other private colleges who only have their tuition and fees as a source of revenue, or rely on the support of alumni, NMMI receives funding through various sources to keep our costs low. The actual "value" of an education at NMMI is more than double what the cadet pays. This is one reason we show costs for both NM resident and non-resident cadets."

The full version is at:https://www.nmmi.edu/prep/faq.htm

Hope this helps!
 
To: OZZYMOM - Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

To Buff81: You are passing bad info here. Please allow me to rectify.

NMMI "yearly costs" for all but books is $10871.00 not $12750.00. All sponsored preps get in-state rates. Self preps may have to pay the higher prices.

NMMI has the same program for "uniform reimbursement" as Marion. It's called "Commutation Pay" and is awarded if the cadet passes the APFT as administered by the Army ROTC program. Since all NMMI cadets are enrolled in ROTC and actively pursuing a commission, they are eligible regardless of the SA they are applying for.

The "grant" you site is not accurate. The WP AoG awards $3k, The Falcon Foundation awards $5k and the MMA gives $4k. The USNA Foundation scholarship is based on family finances. As was already stated, many other scholarships are available.


All NMMI costs can be found at: http://www.nmmi.edu/prep/prepcosts.htm

I hope this helps others who are investigating the different Prep Schools.

V/R - Don

Thanks for the updated info. The info I posted was what WP gave to us a couple of months ago.
The figure I stated for NMMI includes the books so it may be closer to your figure if books were excluded from that amount.

What we've been told is that the cost of a CP is divided into three sections: what the AOG contributes, what the CP school contributes (Grant) and what the candidate contributes.

Thanks again for the correction. This site is always best served by the best and most accurate information. :thumb:
 
Thank you for the info, NMMI.

I had completely forgotten to consider the public/ private status of the schools.

I will 2nd Buff's comment about so much great info coming from this site and its posters.
 
Buff81 and FlyBoy 1993:

You're welcome. I try to provide what I can to help folks, when I can. Back when I was a junior in high school (1970) I went to my high school guidance counselor to get help with the USNA. You have to understand the times, and mood of the certain segments of US society during the war in Vietnam to "appreciate" his response. Basically he said, "I'm not going to help them ship you home to your mother in a rubber bag." I was left to flounder on my own (no Internet help back then).

When I first found this board I was impressed that Dr. Larry Mullen was answering questions on the DoDMERB forum using his real name. It added a lot of credibility to his responses. I decided to do the same.

Good luck - good hunting!
 
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