CGAS waitlist

808Ohana

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Mar 15, 2018
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My son is waitlisted for the scholar program...anyone heard from anybody yet and is off the waitlist?
 
My son is waitlisted for the scholar program...anyone heard from anybody yet and is off the waitlist?
Hi! My son is wait listed too for scholar program, haven't heard anything except that the spots can continue to shift until July 1st. What's your son's plan b?
 
Aloha, a lot of us 808's. My DS also in the same canoe. Neva heard nuting. But DS received an appointment to USMMA so he all good. I know this is the USCGA forum but this is another path to the same thing with even more options.
 
Aloha, a lot of us 808's. My DS also in the same canoe. Neva heard nuting. But DS received an appointment to USMMA so he all good. I know this is the USCGA forum but this is another path to the same thing with even more options.
oh man Congratulations ...!!!
 
That was also one of our "many" plans. If your DS really wants to do an academy and he is this close, another path is to go to MMI as a self paid SAP candidate. Same program as CGAS but you got to pay. From what I read, if you do well you got a better than even chance (60%+?) of getting picked up for the next Academy class. It really is equivalent to the first year of a jr. college so you can still get regular college credits if he transfers or maybe just does not like the whole military thing. This was our plan C if CGAS and USMMA did not happen. MMI has a ROTC program too if you want to go that route. Depending on your DS Academic package they even offer scholarships. I think all up it was $18k including room and board. But they offered my DS a 50% scholarship so it would have been only $12k all up. That is cheaper than living at home and going local to UH. And IF you play the game for the 2023 season, I would highly recommend USMMA. Not many from the 808 go for this as compared to AF, CG, USN, USA. So the chances of getting a State slot are much better than the big schools. Plus your DS can CHOOSE what branch of service for the 5 year OR go into the Merchant Marine environment. $80k stating as a civilian is better than $36k as a starving Ensign. Plus it is the only Academy you actually end up with a working unlimited 3rd mate License to work on a ship. You can read many online stories of 30 year plus USN Captains with 2-3 Ship commands that can't get hired by Carnival Cruise lines because they do not have a USCG Mariner License. Many paths, don't give up on the dream! We didn't and he is off my dependent books as of 6/29/2018!
 
Just to clarify a point... an Ensign won’t be starving. 36k is base pay. This does not include housing allowance (which will vary depending on location), sea/flight or other specialty pay, and BAS, which most of these do not count towards your taxable income. Sure 36k+ isn’t a lot compared to 80k, but very different lives. All great options depending on what one wants to pursue. As to the $80k out the gate and what that entails (type of license, specialty, types of ships, amount of time at sea) I will leave that to some of the very knowledgeable Merchant Mariners who give advice on this forum.
 
... not to mention health care benefits...

My DS certainly never complained about starving. He eats pretty damn well. He's also able to put aside a good chunk into a Roth each year while still paying off his starter loan. Oh yeah, he takes a couple exotic vacations to distant locations each year too.
 
It’s always a challenge just to compare salary. Better to compare total compensation.

There is:
Base pay. O-3 pay, as I recall, is nearly double 0-1 at 4 years. That was my favorite pay raise. Military pay may not be subject to income tax in some states, and military members can keep a state of residence their entire AD career, one that works to their advantage, and not be subject to the state they are living in while working there.
Flight pay, sub pay, sea pay, other specialty pays.
Some combat zone pays are exempt from any tax at all.

COLA raise every year.
Longevity raise every 2 years.

All pays are taxable, unless specifically exempted.

Allowances. Not taxable.
There is BAH, Basic Allowance for Housing, based on paygrade, single or with dependents, keyed to zip code cost of living. This can be a good chunk of the tax-free money each month. Meant to off-set housing costs. Use “DFAS BAH rates 2018” to search.

BAS, Basic Allowance for Subsistence, another monthly allowance.

Healthcare. For AD, no premiums, co-pays or deductibles. I didn’t realize the value of this while I was a JO, until I had civilian friends tell me about the money deducted from their salary each month for a healthcare plan. They also had to pay co-pays and absorb deductibles.

Dental care. Ditto above.

Military Pharmacy. No cost.

Military exchanges and commissaries. Tax-free shopping. Often beats local markets, especially in high-cost areas.


Even as a junior officer, I always had plenty of money to pay recurring bills, fully fund IRA and other long-term savings accounts, live comfortably, have a decent car, have an emergency fund, pay all credit cards fully each month, travel and have fun. The Navy paid for both my Master’s while on AD, and the GI Bill paid for additional professional certificates.

Post-separation, veterans’ preference points apply for Fed civil service jobs, and AD time (including SA 4 years) can be used to buy Fed Service time for retirement.

Blended Retirement System (BRS) retirement and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP, military and Federal 401k).

Officers can live very comfortably, and by managing their money prudently, and using their AD time as a platform to launch into higher-salary civilian employment, can become wealthy. Of course, that’s a sliding scale of what feels like wealth.
 
You can read many online stories of 30 year plus USN Captains with 2-3 Ship commands that can't get hired by Carnival Cruise lines because they do not have a USCG Mariner License.

DS graduates this week from USCGA with his diploma, his commission & his USCG Master Mariner credentials. The academy started this program in 2014, I believe.
 
DS graduates this week from USCGA with his diploma, his commission & his USCG Master Mariner credentials. The academy started this program in 2014, I believe.

I thought they get a 100 ton near coastal "six pack" license.
 
100 ton and six pack are two different animals.
 
I hold a USCG 100 Ton Master License. Besides 6 pack you need enough see time. Must get no less than 90 on the exam.
 
That was also one of our "many" plans. If your DS really wants to do an academy and he is this close, another path is to go to MMI as a self paid SAP candidate. Same program as CGAS but you got to pay. From what I read, if you do well you got a better than even chance (60%+?) of getting picked up for the next Academy class. It really is equivalent to the first year of a jr. college so you can still get regular college credits if he transfers or maybe just does not like the whole military thing. This was our plan C if CGAS and USMMA did not happen. MMI has a ROTC program too if you want to go that route. Depending on your DS Academic package they even offer scholarships. I think all up it was $18k including room and board. But they offered my DS a 50% scholarship so it would have been only $12k all up. That is cheaper than living at home and going local to UH. And IF you play the game for the 2023 season, I would highly recommend USMMA. Not many from the 808 go for this as compared to AF, CG, USN, USA. So the chances of getting a State slot are much better than the big schools. Plus your DS can CHOOSE what branch of service for the 5 year OR go into the Merchant Marine environment. $80k stating as a civilian is better than $36k as a starving Ensign. Plus it is the only Academy you actually end up with a working unlimited 3rd mate License to work on a ship. You can read many online stories of 30 year plus USN Captains with 2-3 Ship commands that can't get hired by Carnival Cruise lines because they do not have a USCG Mariner License. Many paths, don't give up on the dream! We didn't and he is off my dependent books as of 6/29/2018!
mahalo!
 
My son received this email an hour ago, subject heading, "CGAS Waitlist":

Good morning!
We are finally at a point where we can select students from the waitlist into the CGAS class. I am contacting the waitlist students to remind them of a few things to keep in mind in the following weeks:

· The waitlist is not ranked.

· I will notify you with a phone call if you are selected, and your status will also change in your Bears Den account.

· We will continue to pick/review applicants from the waitlist up until July 1st.

· Once the waitlist is closed, you will be notified via email.

· Please set yourself up for success and coordinate your Plan B - CGAS should not be your only option at this point.

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you for your continued patience.
 
My son received this email an hour ago, subject heading, "CGAS Waitlist":

Good morning!
We are finally at a point where we can select students from the waitlist into the CGAS class. I am contacting the waitlist students to remind them of a few things to keep in mind in the following weeks:

· The waitlist is not ranked.

· I will notify you with a phone call if you are selected, and your status will also change in your Bears Den account.

· We will continue to pick/review applicants from the waitlist up until July 1st.

· Once the waitlist is closed, you will be notified via email.

· Please set yourself up for success and coordinate your Plan B - CGAS should not be your only option at this point.

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you for your continued patience.
Who sent this to your son? We have not received similar. :(
 
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