Needing some advice and opinions... kinda down:(

armyicurn · Apr 28, 2010

That is a tough one. If you even go reserves, you are bound to be called up to active duty at any given time. You and your hubby will have to sit down and try to look into the future. With the economical swings this country is experiencing, it would be hard to say how safe your hubby's job is. The military could offer you a secure job, but you also would have to look to see how comfortable you can be on a LTs salary.

New1LT · Apr 28, 2010

So here is the situation. I start my ADN program in the fall and had always thought I would go on and do my BSN, then go into the AF or Army. My hubby is 4 years from AF guard retirement and works a corporate job where he makes between 70-80K per year. Here is my problem. He is the bread winner in our family. We have two boys and I have been home for years. I already have a BS in another area and have student loans. If I go through my ADN program, then BSN program, I am looking at adding another 20K to my loans. I always thought that I would try to get student loan repayment with the military... but now I am not sure if that's the best option. See, if I go military, hubby has to move with me and get a job wherever I am. We could possibly have to live on my Lt income for a while and that would be a BIG paycut. So... I either just get my ADN and follow his career moves as a civilian...save the money I would have spent on a BSN and live with it, or.... get the BSN, hope I can get loan repayment, go military, and pray that he gets a job equal to what he has now wherever I get stationed. I am 35 and have always wanted to be a military nurse....
What would you do?
I have to decide soon as I need to spend the summer doing BSN pre-req's if I am going to go for it...
HELP!~

mom2three3,

I would first say that going through an ADN program and then a BSN program is an added expense. See about just going BSN up front. If you do this then you could see about getting into the STRAP program. They would pay for your student loans and pay you a stipend every month while you're in school. This is Army by the way. And yes, if your husband is use to being the bread winner then he is ultimately the one that holds your future in his hands. If he feels that he can go without an awesome paying job to see you through your military dream, then I say go for it. But it will be a lifestyle change. Not only monetarily, but socially as well. It will be like nothing you've ever known! Sometimes you have to put your life into perspective and decide what it is you want.

mom2three3 · Apr 28, 2010

Well, I have run the numbers a million ways...soo, I have to use my loans to help pay for daycare for my little guy, so I need a less expensive per hour program...enter ADN. I would love to just go ahead and get my BSN, but the tuition is higher. I already have a BS, so I would lack like 30hours to get my BSN when I am done with my ADN. So...I am trying to decide if 30K in loan repayment is worth it to be a military nurse. Hubby was active army 10 years, so the lifestyle thing I am cool with. I throught STRAP was for reservists??

Hubby is behind me no matter what... it's just the thought of taking a huge paycut that makes me gulp. He got his masters a few years back and has worked in corporate america since and loves it. We move every three years or so with his job so...hmmm..

I just wish I knew what to do. Thanks for the info ladies... much appreciated...

shapely · Apr 28, 2010

If you already have a bs, find an accelerated ban program. You can do it in 2 years versus the 3 it will take to do adn then bsn. You're time should count for something. Have you looked at reserves? Talk to a recruiter. Maybe you can do ROTC. Good luck, it's a big decision.

just_cause, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2010

That is a tough decision and I recently was in a somewhat similar dilemma.

I'd say some things that are important are:

How long will you and husband be at current duty station. This might drive what pre-reqs you do now whether tailored to 'most schools' or schools locally.

If you will be at current location 3-4 years then looking at what BSN / ADN programs and doing the pre-reqs to enter those.

To be honest when you get pre-reqs done, and with your prior bachelors, the entry requirements for ADN / BSN are usually the same at that point. Depending on your particular state and whether schools are private or public drives the tuition but both programs would be 2 years at that point.

I looked at the accel-BSN and have cohorts in it... I'm SO glad I'm in a standard BSN program vs an accel program... I would have done an ADN program in stead of a acel BSN program based on the cost that was available and the stress it would have been on life situation and short learning timeline.... our ADN here allows a direct 1 year agreement with local BSN programs.... also if you had a BSN some work places have part time learning on board...

I'd try the BSN route for commission if that is your goal.

With the Army and Navy 2 years out from grad date of BSN (which for you is probably as soon as you have acceptance letter in hand) you can apply for the army or navy nurse candidate program ... it provides monthly stipend and a small bonus at the front and at completion.. both of these also 'ensure' a commission upon graduation and they also allow you to then focus on school

Best of luck. If you have any specific Q's on those programs I'd be happy to try and help but I'd look at those after looking at your pre-req needs after looking at your timeline.

CEG · Apr 29, 2010

he makes between 70-80K per year. Here is my problem. He is the bread winner in our family. have to live on my Lt income for a while and that would be a BIG paycut. to go for it...
HELP!~

Are you calculating BAH and BAS along with other allowances when you figure the big pay cut? I haven't done the math but I know when my husband and I were both Lts we made around 130K a year and that was about 10 years ago. You may be surprised by how much you would make.

olderthandirt2 · May 3, 2010

Are you calculating BAH and BAS along with other allowances when you figure the big pay cut? I haven't done the math but I know when my husband and I were both Lts we made around 130K a year and that was about 10 years ago. You may be surprised by how much you would make.

Correct. I am an Active Duty 1LT (was Reserve for 14months prior). My salary equates to civilian 70~ish. (b/c 34% of my gross is untaxed, however I live in an area that has a BAH of $1345......so YOUR location will dictate your untaxed portion of your salary).

ADN or BSN

There are many paths you can take. I also had a BS in another field and went the Accelerated (1yr) BSN program route----which I am very happy about. If you do reserves you can use strap or take a loan and do the accelerated, then go Active and take the 120 K loan repayment.......They WILL repay your prior BS loans if you used it to gain admission to an accelerated program (or they used to do that anyway....I took a loan repayment as a reservist, which stopped when I went Active).

Concerning salaries:

My salary as a civilian in Portland OR was ~72-75. My take home is "equal or higher" than as a civilian. But Ive only been a nurse for 7 yrs. People with MORE yrs experience take a larger pay cut coming into the military.

I am up for Captain this yr and I am moving to Tacoma, so my BAH will be $1929.......basically an increase of $1200 month net (with 0-3 pay rate).......yeah, I made the right decision to go Active (not just for$$ either)...........oh yeah, And now the Army is paying me to attend graduate school in Anesthesia too :) !!!

HOOAH

USAGPAN SRNA :redbeathe

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · May 4, 2010

Are you calculating BAH and BAS along with other allowances when you figure the big pay cut? I haven't done the math but I know when my husband and I were both Lts we made around 130K a year and that was about 10 years ago. You may be surprised by how much you would make.

130K ten years ago? I was IN the military ten years ago (and I'm mentally adjusting for inflation based on what I know I made a month) - that's what I make NOW as an Lt with eight years in. I make $60K annually with BAS and BAH and a dependent. My salary may EQUATE to about eighty-three grand a year (if you believe the latest statement I just got from the DOD), but I actually make sixty grand.

And my BAH is $1350/month, and my base pay - well, that's public record, really, so I'll tell you - is $3455/month, with BAS at $223.

I think you're overestimating a bit....in July of 2000 a 2nd Lt's basic pay with less than two years in was $1926.34/month (I got curious and looked it up). In ten years, it's gone up less than a grand a month (again, less than two years in). In 2000, with my TIS/TIG, I would have made $2423.10/month. I looked up BAH for Seattle, Washington (picked at random; it has a very high CONUS housing rate) in 2000 for an O1. It was LESS than $1000 (that surprised me) - it was $888/month. BAS in 2000 was $164.70/month for officers (bit scary that's only gone up about $56/month!). So an eight year 2nd Lt in Seattle in 2000 made $3475/month before taxes, which is $41,709.60 a year. Make that 2 eight year 2nd Lts and you get $83,419 a year. It might have FELT like $130K :), but it was far from it.

And that's back when you could double-dip housing allowances - which I don't think they let you do anymore.

Then again, gas was what? $1.30 a gallon? Probably DID feel like 130K!

That said, by the time I make 1st Lt in December (I have almost a year's TIG) I'll have over eight years in (I'll actually hit that in August). Round of drinks on me! :)

And I too have had a HUGE increase in pay for coming back in the military - I make more now than an RN with six years' experience at my last hospital, and I've only been an RN for two years. I almost clear more in one paycheck now than I used to clear A MONTH before I went to straight nights at my last job. (And I do mean almost - I'm within about fifty bucks each check). Ouch.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · May 4, 2010

My take home pay is 1/3 more in the military then as a civilian RN with 10 years experience. If you figure my tax advange I make around 100K, but I am also a O3E with 20+ years.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · May 4, 2010

My take home pay is 1/3 more in the military then as a civilian RN with 10 years experience. If you figure my tax advange I make around 100K, but I am also a O3E with 20+ years.

Weird, isn't it, in a way?

mom2three3 · May 4, 2010

Thanks for all of the replies. I guess It would be one thing to go from one income to two. That wold be adding money. But... who knows if and when hubby will get a job in corporate management where I end up. That could be a big loss of income for us. I am pondering all of this now because I have BSN pre-req's lined up for summer that I won't take if I decide not to do AD. I have a limited amount of loan $ left so I have to be careful about the classes I take. I might look into the STRAP prog or maybe just look into reserves...