NOLS question for Midn parents

chiromed0

5-Year Member
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Mar 9, 2011
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Okay, our DS is there and a proud member of the Brigade. He's now asking about next summer and NOLS. I would appreciate any information about this program and alternatives. For one..is this mandatory? What is mandatory in the summer months b/t Plebe and Youngster years?

Quite frankly the wife and I were knocked back quite a bit when we saw the cost of NOLS and wondered, "okay, does the Naval Academy pick any of this tab up?". It ain't cheap. We can do it but will probably have to sell a kidney. Yes, I'm kidding...I think.:eek:

Any feedback, comments would be appreciated.
 
NOLS is not mandatory. Over the summer, Youngsters will need to have one professional training block and one fleet cruise block. If I'm not mistaken, NOLS is one of many programs that fulfill the professional training requirement. There are internships, study abroad programs, and other USNA programs that are available that also fulfill the same requirement.

There are scholarships for USNA midshipmen to attend NOLS at a reduced price; your son should probably look into those.
 
NOLS is not mandatory. Over the summer, Youngsters will need to have one professional training block and one fleet cruise block. If I'm not mistaken, NOLS is one of many programs that fulfill the professional training requirement. There are internships, study abroad programs, and other USNA programs that are available that also fulfill the same requirement.There are scholarships for USNA midshipmen to attend NOLS at a reduced price; your son should probably look into those.

Im gonna really lay my ignorance out on the line,what is it and how much does NOLS cost?
 
I did NOLS before my 2/C year (Yukon whitewater canoeing). Definitely in the "top three" of my summer training experiences (other two being, in order, Plebe Summer Detail and Leatherneck), which honestly doesn't really do it justice. Coming out of youngster year, it was a great leadership experience and something that contributed in a lot of ways to how I thought and approached leadership as an upperclass mid. I remain close with the other members of my NOLS group. Also, it was pretty freakin' cool (better than YPs...)

That being said, NOLS is far from mandatory. There's a lot of other great opportunities out there and it's not like your son will be a bad leader or anything if he doesn't go out to the middle of nowhere and not shower for a month.
Something to suggest to your son if he hasn't already considered it is holding off on NOLS for this summer and either saving up or using his loan to pay for it. Take the hit and do YPs, or try for summer seminar squad leader or sailing.
My parents initially paid for NOLS (over youngster year when payments were due) with the understanding that I would pay them back as soon as I got my 2/C loan in the fall. Something else to consider is that the stated tuition cost does not include travel, equipment, or other miscellaneous costs. My NOLS course ended up taking around $6,500 out of my pocket between airfare (Whitehorse, YT is pretty far...), hotel for a night on either end of the course, and gear.
 
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