Nominations (Out of State)

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BTV2021

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I am a high school junior applying to USNA and USAFA. I understand the admissions process pretty well but I have a question about nominations. My father is currently enlisted active duty. We are stationed in Annapolis which poses my question.

Since we don't have a permanent address I've listed my congressional district as that of the state that my dad originally enlisted, pays taxes, and got his drivers license. However when I look on the representative's website it states that only candidates who reside in the boundaries of that district can compete for the Nom.

Is it possible for me to still compete for this Nomination?
 
Assume you are already looking at applying for the Presidential nom, which is precisely why it exists for cases like yours, and the VP nom.

Part of this process is you researching questions and getting information from the primary source. Online is good, but phone calls to those MOC and Senate offices and asking to speak to a staff member who coordinates the nomination process for their elected official, are your avenue to correct information. Be polite, well-prepared and ready to take notes.

Good luck!

Edit: I certainly didn't mean to imply there is not plenty of good info here, from those who might have been in similar circumstances. I am a believer in starting with primary sources and making judicious use of secondary and tertiary.
 
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Thank you so much for the advice, I was planning on contacting the representative's office. I think there has been cases where interviews were conducted over the phone. I'll be sure to ask for these details.
 
BTV2021 said:
I've listed my congressional district as that of the state that my dad originally enlisted, pays taxes, and got his drivers license. However when I look on the representative's website it states that only candidates who reside in the boundaries of that district can compete for the Nom.
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You should certainly be able to seek a nomination from the MOC where your parents are registered to vote. Even if they do not currently have a physical home there. If you get any pushback on this you should raise it with admissions.
 
The folks who work for Senator Mikulski (MD) specifically put out at high school military info nights that students like you should apply to their respective states.

Call your father's (and YOUR) MoC's and Senators' offices, state your situation, and they will be able to tell you how to apply through them. Some may require interview via Skype.
 
ktnatalk said:
The folks who work for Senator Mikulski (MD) specifically put out at high school military info nights that students like you should apply to their respective states.

Call your father's (and YOUR) MoC's and Senators' offices, state your situation, and they will be able to tell you how to apply through them. Some may require interview via Skype.
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I emailed the representatives office regarding my situation. Hopefully interviews over Skype won't hurt my chances for the nominations since I'm not personally there.
 
I did all 3 (senators and Rep) interviews over the phone (I was participating in a program at USAFA that interfered with the Senator interviews, and had a very important hockey game interfering with the Representative interview) They told me that my dedication to my team was honorable, and I received a principal nom! Your father's service to our nation will certainly be looked on as more honorable than being at a hockey game, which, of course, can only benefit you.

Best of luck!
 
Falcon8 said:
I did all 3 (senators and Rep) interviews over the phone (I was participating in a program at USAFA that interfered with the Senator interviews, and had a very important hockey game interfering with the Representative interview) They told me that my dedication to my team was honorable, and I received a principal nom! Your father's service to our nation will certainly be looked on as more honorable than being at a hockey game, which, of course, can only benefit you.

Best of luck!
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Hopefully his service will only help in my case. Since then I've called the office of my representative regarding the question and he said he will ask the Academy directly if I apply this way. The presidential Nom is still an option but I'm not sure how competitive it is to receive one.
 
Sounds like the person you spoke with is either new or unfamiliar with the process. Instead of waiting for him to call back, you could call Admissions, get the answer that we already gave you, call back to the MOC's office and tell him who you spoke with in Admissions.

May I ask what state your father is claiming residency? Have you called your two Senators' offices?
 
OP, have you given us all the facts? Are you 18 and registered to vote in Maryland? That makes a big difference.
 
We are claiming it from Texas since this is where he enlisted, pays taxes, got his drivers lisence and registered to vote. I am only 16 so my residency falls under my parents I believe
 
Well, did you get a chance to call admissions today? Also, what did you find out from the Texas Senators' offices? I imagine they would not even have any doubt that you are eligible to apply for a nom from them.

Texas has a much higher population than Maryland so there maybe not much to gain in terms of Senstors' nom. (Standing by to be corrected by folks from the Lone Star State.) In which MOC district is your father claiming residency? Is there a large military population? That could mean a fierce competition there as well.

Btw, your father's service may help in terms of you having a better understanding of what military service means, but admissions is looking your qualification first and foremost. Otherwise, can you imagine most of the brigade being filled by sons and daughters of Captains and Admirals?

P.S. There is no state income tax for Texas and that's why military personnel from a state that charges income tax like to switch to Texas residency when they PCS there. Maybe your father is telling your family he is paying state tax and have been saving up for your college fund instead! :)
 
My representative's office replied and said I'm eligible, I'll contact the senate office to inform them also. The only question I still have is when I list my Home of record will it be an actual address or just the State I claim as my HOR.
 
BTV2021 said:
...The only question I still have is when I list my Home of record will it be an actual address or just the State I claim as my HOR.
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You should check with your Representative, but I believe it will be your last residential address in that state. This should also correspond to the address which is linked to your parent's voter registration. They want to be able to confirm the voting district to which you should be assigned. Of course you should make sure they know it's no longer a valid mailing address. Good luck.
 
BTV2021 said:
My representative's office replied and said I'm eligible, I'll contact the senate office to inform them also. The only question I still have is when I list my Home of record will it be an actual address or just the State I claim as my HOR.
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It is good to think ahead, but you do not need to worry about what to put down for your Home of Record until AFTER you accept the offer of appointment, which happens after you complete your application this year, and get selected . There will be a form in the Permit to Report package for you to fill out your HOR. That is at least 13 or 14 months away. You only need to use the same district as your father claims for your application now. You will know what I am talking about when you fill out your application online.

Do you have relatives still living in Texas in the same district that you want to use their address? Do you want to register to vote in Texas or Maryland to exercise your rights when you turn 18? I suggest you start thinking about these too.
 
@gokings814 I don't know if you read this thread, and since you seem to be the board resident financial advisor, are there state income tax implications to choosing whether to use TX or MD as your HOR?
 
5Day said:
@gokings814 I don't know if you read this thread, and since you seem to be the board resident financial advisor, are there state income tax implications to choosing whether to use TX or MD as your HOR?
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I am not as smart as @gokings814, nor did I stay at Holiday Inn last night (referencing an old TV commercial that you get very smart the next day after staying in their hotels overnight), but I am always a believer of the saying “it is not how much you make, but how much you get to keep and enjoy that matters”.

I believe there are things that people do not think about before joining the military, or they do but have little to zero control of.

1. Home of Record: where you join the military from could decide your future education and other benefits you are entitled to when you separate or retire from your service. Each state is different. I suggest you look up yours. It also can determine how far the military will ship your household goods when you leave your service.

2. State Income Tax: currently, seven states levy no state income tax at all: AK, WA, NV, WY, SD, TX and FL.

http://taxfoundation.org/article/state-individual-income-tax-rates-and-brackets-2016

Some states tax you wherever the military sends you to; some tax you only if you live within the state while on active duty. Since most of the academies require a nomination process that involve your MOCs, it is not as easy as telling our DD or DS to use grandma’s address when he/she enlists and use that as his/her Home of Record to benefit from zero income tax or potential benefits when he/she calls it a career and return to civilian life.

BTW, when your DD/DS fills out the Request And Authorization For Midshipmen Accession Travel form, USNA4600/8 (3/2013), found in the Permit to Report package, he/she will enter the Home of Record (City and State Only) which is what the government will pay for your travel to the yard based on. If you can prove otherwise (e.g. a military dependent who wants to claim the same state as the state of legal residence his/her parent claims) you would want to communicate that to admissions. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to change a Home of Record later.

All incoming candidates are authorized to be reimbursed for their travel from their Home of Record to USNA, be driving in a Privately Owned Vehicle, by rail, by bus or by air. You will see the instructions in your Permit to Report package. Save your receipts!

Experts in the forum or those experienced firsthand please chime in. I am not sure if this has been posted anywhere on the forum before.
 
@5Day, I hope you are not implying I am an expert. I am not. I did tell myself early on about the importance of keeping what I earned as much as possible. I also have been filing my own tax returns since the beginning with 1040EZ. Now I just use Turbotax! :cool:
 
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