I wanted to put something together to help explain the STRAP program. It's hard to find anything online on this including forums. I am a SRNA and I am in the STRAP program on the reserves side. I'm not sure how the active side of STRAP works but I have heard its similar.
First what is the STRAP and requirements? STRAP is a stipend paid to you every month while in school. The current stipend is 2330/mo paid in two installments (1st and 15th of the month). After taxes it is like 1050 per paycheck. For every 6mo you take you owe a year of service. The best deal of this whole thing is the HPLR (Loan repayment). On the reserve component you are eligible for up to 60K in tuition. You get this tuition IN SCHOOL after each year of service. This was something the recruiters did not know how it worked. They told me it was after I graduated that I was eligible which is untrue. You get 20K every year in school IF you have a good year (I will explain this later). Many people I met at the SFRR did not sign up because they thought they would owe more time after school. So I took the HPLR and the STRAP and I only owe 6 years afterwards because I took 60K during my three year program which counted as service. Theres pretty much no reason at all not to take the HPLR with your STRAP. Also another amazing benefit is Tricare. For a family its like 215/mo which is super cheap. We saved money every month just switching to that. Plus the insurance is WAY better. Tricare is easy to work with and they pay.
Once you get commissioned, make sure the recruiters get you a uniform and a CAC ID card. They are supposed to do this but they do not. I found this out when I went to SFRR that they were supposed to. I had to scramble at the last minute to get a uniform for the SFRR. Another thing is to hassle your recruiters once commissioned about sending your orders to APMC. I found out the recruiters were sitting on my orders for weeks before they sent them. This affects your HPLR which your anniversary date starts when you get attached to APMC not your commissioning date.
Once you get that situated APMC will send you a welcome packet which is a bunch of stuff that feels reapplying for the Army. Big thing to remember to complete are your 1380 forms every month. This affect a few things: retirement points, drill pay (yes you get paid every month on top of your stipend!), and eligibility for your HLPR. You need 50 points a year to qualify for a good year. You will fulfill this if you fill out your 1380s. If you have a good year then HPLR will pay out every year.
When you fill out your 1380 forms make sure to include anything you do related to school (classes, workshops, etc.). This is your 'drill' while in school. 1LT drill 490 a month. So if you do the math thats 2820/mo with your stipend. Recruiters failed to mention that beautiful benefit. They told me I would not get drill pay which is untrue.
Other things to do while in the STRAP is make sure all your health requirements are completed. This includes things like a dental exam, health physical, etc every year. This is something they will help you with. You schedule all your assessments through LHI.
Last thing is to go to a Soldier Focused Readiness Review (SFRR). This is an orientation to the APMC and they help you with your documents, answer questions, etc. It's very helpful and they pay you to go there. Id recommend signing up for the next available one after you get attached to APMC. Its four days long but two are travel days. So basically its two days long with one being a ppt presentation from all the departments and the other day is sitting down one on one with each department.
If you can stay on top of your 1380s and health assessments you should be good to go while in school. Theres also a height and weight form and STRAP enrollment form that you have to send in every 6 months.
Overall its a good deal. I basically get almost 2,820/mo (drill and stipend) with 60K towards my tuition. I figured it out its basically almost 162k in total benefits for only a six year commitment afterwards. I won't have any personal or school debt after school which most people cant say. You just have to deal with headaches of getting wrong information or no information. But hopefully this helps.
I was selected for STRAP Nov 2021... I am still waiting secdef approval and commissioning. It is a huge headache tbh. I am at the point where I wish I would have just gone 66S.
I was selected for STRAP Nov 2021... I am still waiting secdef approval and commissioning. It is a huge headache tbh. I am at the point where I wish I would have just gone 66S.
What kind of stuff you waiting on? I been on OML since then and haven't heard anything back. I contacted them a couple weeks ago and basically they don't know anything at all besides Im on the OML. Not even sure how many total slots are open for STRAP but I will try again in the fall if I don't get selected to come off the OML. But if its this much of headache I may look into 66S as well!!
Are you a reservist prior to strap? Or signed up for strap and became reservist? Once u have it is better to be s strap reservist bec u don't need to show up to drill and you can just put school activities as your one weekend a month requirement.
Are you a reservist prior to strap? Or signed up for strap and became reservist? Once u have it is better to be s strap reservist bec u don't need to show up to drill and you can just put school activities as your one weekend a month requirement.
I got on OML for STRAP this past fiscal year so planning to reapply in the fall. Wasn't sure if I had a better chance at 66S due to more slots, but then I would have to attend drill unless there's a way around that while in school full time? I think I will try for STRAP again this fall though, just makes more sense for my situation.
Does anyone know if you can use the remaining Montgomery (1606) benefits from your first service contract while in STRAP? Mainly, my school refuses to give me in-state tuition rate because I don’t fall under Mont/Post911 while using STRAP. It's been frustrating as no one really knows anything about this program.
Maybe there is a difference in reserve vs active montgomery. I thought most schools give in-state tuition for veterans. I never asked to receive in state tuition due to using mont/post but I asked as a veteran.
I wanted to put something together to help explain the STRAP program. It's hard to find anything online on this including forums. I am a SRNA and I am in the STRAP program on the reserves side. I'm not sure how the active side of STRAP works but I have heard its similar.
First what is the STRAP and requirements? STRAP is a stipend paid to you every month while in school. The current stipend is 2330/mo paid in two installments (1st and 15th of the month). After taxes it is like 1050 per paycheck. For every 6mo you take you owe a year of service. The best deal of this whole thing is the HPLR (Loan repayment). On the reserve component you are eligible for up to 60K in tuition. You get this tuition IN SCHOOL after each year of service. This was something the recruiters did not know how it worked. They told me it was after I graduated that I was eligible which is untrue. You get 20K every year in school IF you have a good year (I will explain this later). Many people I met at the SFRR did not sign up because they thought they would owe more time after school. So I took the HPLR and the STRAP and I only owe 6 years afterwards because I took 60K during my three year program which counted as service. Theres pretty much no reason at all not to take the HPLR with your STRAP. Also another amazing benefit is Tricare. For a family its like 215/mo which is super cheap. We saved money every month just switching to that. Plus the insurance is WAY better. Tricare is easy to work with and they pay.
Once you get commissioned, make sure the recruiters get you a uniform and a CAC ID card. They are supposed to do this but they do not. I found this out when I went to SFRR that they were supposed to. I had to scramble at the last minute to get a uniform for the SFRR. Another thing is to hassle your recruiters once commissioned about sending your orders to APMC. I found out the recruiters were sitting on my orders for weeks before they sent them. This affects your HPLR which your anniversary date starts when you get attached to APMC not your commissioning date.
Once you get that situated APMC will send you a welcome packet which is a bunch of stuff that feels reapplying for the Army. Big thing to remember to complete are your 1380 forms every month. This affect a few things: retirement points, drill pay (yes you get paid every month on top of your stipend!), and eligibility for your HLPR. You need 50 points a year to qualify for a good year. You will fulfill this if you fill out your 1380s. If you have a good year then HPLR will pay out every year.
When you fill out your 1380 forms make sure to include anything you do related to school (classes, workshops, etc.). This is your 'drill' while in school. 1LT drill 490 a month. So if you do the math thats 2820/mo with your stipend. Recruiters failed to mention that beautiful benefit. They told me I would not get drill pay which is untrue.
Other things to do while in the STRAP is make sure all your health requirements are completed. This includes things like a dental exam, health physical, etc every year. This is something they will help you with. You schedule all your assessments through LHI.
Last thing is to go to a Soldier Focused Readiness Review (SFRR). This is an orientation to the APMC and they help you with your documents, answer questions, etc. It's very helpful and they pay you to go there. Id recommend signing up for the next available one after you get attached to APMC. It's four days long but two are travel days. So basically its two days long with one being a ppt presentation from all the departments and the other day is sitting down one on one with each department.
If you can stay on top of your 1380s and health assessments you should be good to go while in school. Theres also a height and weight form and STRAP enrollment form that you have to send in every 6 months.
Overall its a good deal. I basically get almost 2,820/mo (drill and stipend) with 60K towards my tuition. I figured it out its basically almost 162k in total benefits for only a six year commitment afterwards. I won't have any personal or school debt after school which most people cant say. You just have to deal with headaches of getting wrong information or no information. But hopefully this helps.
Hi I know I'm kind of late to this post but is the 1 year accrued year of service owed supposed to be active or reserves service? Seeing that it's a reserves program, I am assuming it is only reserves service but I just wanted to make sure.
Hi I know I'm kind of late to this post but is the 1 year accrued year of service owed supposed to be active or reserves service? Seeing that it's a reserves program, I am assuming it is only reserves service but I just wanted to make sure.
Thank you
You will pay your service back as a reservist for STRAP
Thank you for your time on this, I hope you get this message. I signed my STRAP/HPLR contract in early 2022. I graduate this December (2023), and with the STRAP obligation I owe time until 12/2027. Of note, my APMC incentives manager consistently provides inaccurate information.
Now that I'm approaching graduation, they are saying I must apply for an HPLR extension for my second and third payments. I am fine with that, however they're stating each annual extension for HPLR payments prolongs my obligation past the STRAP obligation, so instead of 12/2027 my obligation would not be complete until 2029. My last HPLR payment would be March 2025 while I'm still actively drilling. I thought these obligations ran simultaneously and have scoured regulations looking for the answer.
Yeah. You have to strategic plan this. For every 6mos, you will owe one yr. Even if you only use 1 mo of strap that is automatic 1yr. I delayed my strap so that id only owe 3 yrs. Which meant I only used them exactly 18months. The obligation does not start until you are done with school.
mtp15, BSN
12 Posts
I was selected for STRAP Nov 2021... I am still waiting secdef approval and commissioning. It is a huge headache tbh. I am at the point where I wish I would have just gone 66S.