value of USNA education

navy2016

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What is the current value of a USNA education?
This figure is needed for my school's guidance department.
From posts years ago, I see 350-425k as a common range.
Is there a more current number given by USNA or cited by the media?
 
What is the current value of a USNA education?
This figure is needed for my school's guidance department.
From posts years ago, I see 350-425k as a common range.
Is there a more current number given by USNA or cited by the media?

At first I was wondering why they wqould need that, but then it occurred to me they must be preparing to total up the amount of scholarships received by the student body.
 
At first I was wondering why they wqould need that, but then it occurred to me they must be preparing to total up the amount of scholarships received by the student body.

Right on

For us that know this is where we wanted to be, the $ value doesn't matter. SA education is priceless.
 
There is no "offical" value. Pick a number in that $350-400K rnage that makes you happy and tell your school that is the number to use.

As a parent it is a very fun moment to watch all these kids be justfiably proud of $1000 to $10,000 scholorships and then have you kid have that huge number announced. Blows people away. Also, suggest you have your BGO attend and make the announcement. They really explain what commitment is all about.
 
The number changes from year to year and different SAs have different numbers. It depends on what you measure and how you count it.

I had great fun at a h.s. appointment presentation a number of years ago. The USAFA rep got up first and said the soon-to-be cadet was receiving an education worth $400,000. USMA rep got up second and said his cadet-to-be was receiving an education worth $350,000. That year, USNA's number was something like $275,000.

So, I got up and said: "X isreceiving an education worth $275,000. That's our Navy and Marine Corps -- always doing more with less." Got a huge laugh, including from the ALO and MALO.:shake:

The point being that you pick a number that seems reasonable. Don't try to "outdo" the other SAs as it can backfire (see above).
 
It's priceless. Already, as a plebe, DS has had the opportunity to shake hands with the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, high five the Secretary of Defense at a football game, speak about his experience at USNA to a room full of high school counselors from around the country, and listen to any number of incredible speakers at various lectures and forums. I can only imagine the opportunities that will present themselves over the next three years!
 
It's priceless. Already, as a plebe, DS has had the opportunity to shake hands with the Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, high five the Secretary of Defense at a football game, speak about his experience at USNA to a room full of high school counselors from around the country, and listen to any number of incredible speakers at various lectures and forums. I can only imagine the opportunities that will present themselves over the next three years!

Maybe someday he'll be the one the plebes talk about shaking hands with! :thumb:
 
I recall that elite private universities that charge about $42,000 for tuition/fees this year point out on numerous occassions that "full tuition" does not come anywhere near the true cost of providing that education... that is, the cost of maintaining the entire University (net of Gov't and Private sector contracts, subsidies, etc.) divided by the number of students in attendance. So, just for fun, le's say the true, fully loaded cost of providing an education at a 4,500 student school is $90,000 per student, per year.

That's the number the Service Academies may use as a start, then throw in room and board which averages $12,000 x 4 = $48,000.

That brings us to $408,000.

Or, you could ask the question differently: what does the next best alternative in the open market cost... say a Colgate, Notre Dame, Davidson, or an Ivy. Then the answer would be about $250,000, assuming the student does not receive any Merit or Need-Based monies.
 
I recall that elite private universities that charge about $42,000 for tuition/fees this year point out on numerous occassions that "full tuition" does not come anywhere near the true cost of providing that education... that is, the cost of maintaining the entire University (net of Gov't and Private sector contracts, subsidies, etc.) divided by the number of students in attendance. So, just for fun, le's say the true, fully loaded cost of providing an education at a 4,500 student school is $90,000 per student, per year.

That's the number the Service Academies may use as a start, then throw in room and board which averages $12,000 x 4 = $48,000.

That brings us to $408,000.

Or, you could ask the question differently: what does the next best alternative in the open market cost... say a Colgate, Notre Dame, Davidson, or an Ivy. Then the answer would be about $250,000, assuming the student does not receive any Merit or Need-Based monies.

Add all the military training, including such things as YPs and summer training, which makes the SAs unique, and the cost differences would probably be nil.
 
You should get a letter prompting you to complete the FAFSA that should include the value of the education you will be receiving. You should not have to wing it, the exact number is available somewhere.
 
What is the current value of a USNA education?
This figure is needed for my school's guidance department.
From posts years ago, I see 350-425k as a common range.
Is there a more current number given by USNA or cited by the media?

Had to do the same thing for our DS's HS graduation honors. Most of the academies list $215-230K as the value of the education. The AF & Navy figure of $350-400K is education AND military training (which other universities/colleges don't do). So apples to apples it's the $200's figure, roughly. The other is just to make it sound good b/c what I hear is they get that figure from taking total operating expenses of the entire school and divide by number of cadets which really isn't the same as other schools. So you could use either number and have justification for listing it but accurately is another thing.
 
This gets asked every year, there is no 'exact' value of what an academy education is worth. It all depends on what you do or don't choose to count. Whatever value you end up with is rather arbitrary and isn't used for much beyond an announcement at graduation. USNA doesn't publish any 'official' figure for this purpose.
 
What is the current value of a USNA education?
This figure is needed for my school's guidance department.
From posts years ago, I see 350-425k as a common range.
Is there a more current number given by USNA or cited by the media?
Is there any current number?

Looking to withdrawal part of my daughter's 529 plan and the IRS says that we need to keep this in our records to make sure that meet their guidelines.
 
From the US Naval Institute
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, utilizes the Naval Academy’s annual budget appropriated by Congress to operate and maintain the U.S. Naval Academy, and divides that figure by the total student body to derive a cost-per-student of nearly $400,000 from recruitment through graduation, or almost $100,000 per-student/per-year.
 
USNA no longer publishes a number. The reason is that it's hard to calculate. Do you include summer training? Medical and dental? What about things, such as books and uniforms, that mids pay for but through the pay they receive?

There's also the public perception. The higher the number, the more prestigious it sounds. But it also can rankle the public that's paying for that education. And some may ask, is 5 years payback sufficient for a $400k education? And so on. USNA at least (and maybe other SAs) decided that it probably wasn't worth wading into that swamp.

The "official" position of USNA is that an appointment is "equivalent to four years of tuition, room and board, plus full medical and dental." Some may add that mids receive a monthly stipend.

If you want to pick a number, take tuition, room and board from a top university x 4 years and use that.
 
Is there any current number?

Looking to withdrawal part of my daughter's 529 plan and the IRS says that we need to keep this in our records to make sure that meet their guidelines.
The IRS has special exceptions for withdrawing 529 money when your child attends an SA. You will be required to pay the tax on the gains but there is no penalty. You can also pay off your DD's ACE loan with it and avoid paying any taxes on that portion. FYI, it is not all deducted from the gains.
 
We used $250K back in the 80s when I was a plebe. When my DD got accepted in 2018 the BGO said "use 400k." It seemed kind of braggadocious so we used 250K at the modest award ceremony. FWIW
 
Is there any current number?

Looking to withdrawal part of my daughter's 529 plan and the IRS says that we need to keep this in our records to make sure that meet their guidelines.
.
Why not just keep it in a high flying equity fund ... and forget about it for 10, 15, 20 years? Write it into your kid’s trust.
.
 
On the flip side one could say it is not a scholarship; rather a job. They are joining the military ranks are receiving modest pay for their service.
 
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