Nurses with high student loans and NCP acceptees over here please!

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Specializes in Civilian+military ER, CVICU.

I'm a prior service Army reserve enlistee, currently an active duty Navy spouse that just got accepted into the Master's entry program at Universtiy of San Diego! My program is going to be expensive, and I always assumed I'd just "sell my soul" to Uncle Sam again to help pay my student loans because it wasn't so bad the first time around. Now I'm hearing it's hard to even go into the military now and I'm thinking maybe I'll just wait to see if I can just work at an "underserved" hospital on the civilian side for 2 years instead of committing myself to 6 years as two active duty parents (we have a 7 & 4 year old).

Two questions: 1) How long does the NCP programs process take? Should I start applying now or closer to graduation (May 2013)?

2) Should I just forget the military altogether and just let my hubby finish up his 20?

P.S. This program is the CNL track and I do plan on going back for my NP post masters certificate (two semesters) I know the military will help me with this schooling.

Agghhhhhh, decisions, decisions...:confused:

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing (CEN).

The NCP process took about 5 months, so if you graduate in 2013, I would start now! :)

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Specializes in Civilian+military ER, CVICU.

Oh wow, Thanks!

The NCP process took about 5 months, so if you graduate in 2013, I would start now! :)
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Can you do a masters entry program through NCP? I thought it was for BSN programs with a max of 24 months?

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I would look closely at what each service is even offering as an incentive (not that it will be the same in 2013, necessarily). Last I looked, the Navy incentive was little to none. The largest incentive I found was the Army Reserve, which was $50K loan repayment for 3 yrs of reserve service. I'm about to start drilling again (with the Marine Corps- obviously not as a nurse), and just that one weekend a month pretty month covers my student loan payment. A good thing about USD, if you do want to join the Navy, is that the Navy sends a lot of AD people DUINS to USD to get their NP, CNS, PhD/ DNP, and they sometimes work as clinical instructors (and there are retired Navy nurses who are professors there, as well), and if you ask, you may be able to do clinicals at Navy MTFs (I did a clinical at Balboa and one at Pendleton), all of which can really help with networking. Good luck.

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I started my paper work late dec 2010. Went MEPS end of Jan. 2011. Packet went to boards Mar18th. Recieved yes from the board but selected 1st alternate. (Bummer!)

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Specializes in Civilian+military ER, CVICU.

Welp, this is was forever ago, but I just received my commission as a 1st LT in the USAF reserve! It was a 2yr long process and no, didn't get any dough, but the extra cash will help my pay my $1000/mo student loan payment!

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