4 yr HPSP and Univ of Pacific

krmower said:

I have spoken to the people who control the scholarships and wanted to pass something on.

The Army 4 yr HPSP does not automatically convert over to a 3 yr HPSP if you decide to go to UOP. If you are accepted to more than one dental school, and one of them is UOP - you need to realize this.

The recruiters are not the ones who make the decision on this, it is made at a much higher level, and in your decision process of which school to go to, this is one of the things you should consider.

The Army plans for how many people will enter in a given year. Those that go to UOP will graduate a year earlier and therefore will come in at the same time as people from the previous year. Depending on the manpower forecasting this may not be desired, and does not have to be allowed. If you apply for the 3, 2, or 1 yr HPSP at UOP there is no problem.

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My air force recruiter told me that couldn't get the 3 year HPSP since technically you have to be a D1 student apply for the 3 yr program. Im not sure if thats the same for the army, but if it was then only the two yr and one yr would be an option at UoP...

It may not be guaranteed, but it certainly is possible. I know at least four people the D1 class who have it and according to armorshell there may be almost a dozen in his class. teeth63a took HPSP at UoP, so it's definitely possible. I guess the key to have a backup school and be careful about it...

krmower said:

You are correct, the key is to go into it with your eyes wide open. It is possible, but not guaranteed. Approach the Army and have the people that make the decisions let you know what they can/will do before you lock yourself into a certain route. The other thing - if you take the $20k bonus, you will do 4 yrs regardless of what school you go to.

Things have recently shifted with the Army HPSP with the demand on the scholarships going up. When teeth63a (who went through a while ago) and the people in the D1 class currently at UOP were given their scholarships, all the scholarships were not given out like they have been the past 2 years (The D1 class at UOP will be graduating in 2012 which is one of the last cycles to not have all the scholarships given out - so their was more lee way with them).

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Does it make more sense to not take the $20,000 bonus, even if I plan staying in the army longer? By that I mean, would I be eligible for multi year retention bonuses or a larger bonus than the 20K if I decide to stay an extra year on my own will after I paid back the three years of HPSP back?? I am actually seriously not thinking of taking it so I have the freedom to either go into private practice or take advantage of whatever incentives are around a year early (well....if multi-year retention bonuses are even offered three years from now, given how things can change). I like having more options....

agent2362 said:

Does it make more sense to not take the $20,000 bonus, even if I plan staying in the army longer? By that I mean, would I be eligible for multi year retention bonuses or a larger bonus than the 20K if I decide to stay an extra year on my own will after I paid back the three years of HPSP back?? I am actually seriously not thinking of taking it so I have the freedom to either go into private practice or take advantage of whatever incentives are around a year early (well....if multi-year retention bonuses are even offered three years from now, given how things can change). I like having more options....

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Yes, the $20k bonus is chump change compared to the multi-year retention bonuses you can get these days. Remember to get the retention bonus you must a be specialist with at least a 2 year AEGD residency.

The $20,000 bonus CAN NOT be paid back concurrently either with your prior obligation from residency!

I had a good long talk with our mutual Captain informant who let me know of my options. As i understand it, the 2013 year group is very full (unlike other year groups before it that couldnt even give away all their HPSP scholarships). Thus people who are admitted to UoP this year with the scholarship are admitted on a case by case basis, as exceptions, since the 2013 group is already filled up. I suppose the military doesn't want a surplus of dentists or residents in their residency programs. I might have a shot at getting in if one of the current HPSP D1 students in the 2013 group fails and frees up a spot, which is very possible (hinted at during our conversation).

Thus, my plan of action is to let the recruiter send in the application for an exception for the scholarship to be applied to UoP. Hopefully that will be approved or most likely I will be put on an OML. Here's the tricky part, since I have two seats (U penn and UoP) which can be both held until May 26; afterward they can both drop me at their discretion if I dont choose before then. So unfortunately if I dont get cleared for the UoP route and insist on going to UoP, I get on OML and essentially lose my signed HPSP contract, which I previously thought was impossible (leave it up to me to find the loophole ). If the board rejects the proposal, and I still have the U Penn seat then I can just apply to the HPSP and there is no problem there.

I guess this is a true test of how much exactly I love UoP...I dunno if I love it 375K worth of debt

ArmyJawBreaker said:

Yes, the $20k bonus is chump change compared to the multi-year retention bonuses you can get these days. Remember to get the retention bonus you must a be specialist with at least a 2 year AEGD residency.

The $20,000 bonus CAN NOT be paid back concurrently either with your prior obligation from residency!

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really!?! so if I sign the 20K bonus and then get a OMFS residency, then I have to serve 8 years active duty (4 for the residency and 4 for the 20K) instead of paying back concurrently in 4 years?? Wow that reall makes me think twice about taking that 20K if that is true. Not saying that i wont be in for eight years but just saying its a curve ball thrown in there

agent2362 said:

really!?! so if I sign the 20K bonus and then get a OMFS residency, then I have to serve 8 years active duty (4 for the residency and 4 for the 20K) instead of paying back concurrently in 4 years?? Wow that reall makes me think twice about taking that 20K if that is true. Not saying that i wont be in for eight years but just saying its a curve ball thrown in there

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I spoke to a LTC from Human Resource Command who told me that Loan Repayment and accession bonuses CAN NOT be paid back concurrently with residency obligation.

Here is my story and what I was told:

I did a direct accession into the US Army in 2002 with $20,000 bonus. I started OMFS residency in 2005, so I paid back 3 out of 4 years from the direct accession. I graduated OMFS in June 2009 and owe 4 years for the OMFS residency which would end in June 2013. But I was told on the phone that I could get out of the Army in June 2014 and that my remaining 1 year from my direct accession obligation CAN NOT be paid back concurrently with my oral surgery residency obligation.

I would honestly speak to your recruiter and ask what can and CAN NOT be paid back concurrently.

krmower said:

There are only 2 concurrent paybacks:
1) HPSP
2) Direct accession not taking anything (no bonus or loan repayment)

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KR,

I have a question which you may be able to answer.

ADSO completed, MRB taken, start another residency.

Are you still eligible for the MRB after the original MRB contract is completed and you are then completing your obligation from the second residency?

Thanks.

Kabek said:

KR,

I have a question which you may be able to answer.

ADSO completed, MRB taken, start another residency.

Are you still eligible for the MRB after the original MRB contract is completed and you are then completing your obligation from the second residency?

Thanks.

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You can take a new MRB after your first MRB contract is completed. You will have to pay off the second residency and new MRB separately, not concurrently is how I understand it.

So what's the deal with UOP. I can't seem to get a straight answer.

Before 2013, UOP students were given 3 year schoarships for 3 years active pay back?

Next year, they are required to pay back 4 yearS?

I guess I should weigh in here since I go to Pacific and am on the HPSP, but I dont have anything really to add.

First, I have a 3 year payback for my time at Pacific. So do all of the other Army guys. One of AF guys had a 4 year payback but got it changed somehow to the 3 year payback. I have no idea how he did it, but he did.

Second, and more importantly, I would STILL go to Pacific even if I had to pay back 4 years. I have loved my time here and I have learned a ton.

jmick101 said:

I guess I should weigh in here since I go to Pacific and am on the HPSP, but I dont have anything really to add.

First, I have a 3 year payback for my time at Pacific. So do all of the other Army guys. One of AF guys had a 4 year payback but got it changed somehow to the 3 year payback. I have no idea how he did it, but he did.

Second, and more importantly, I would STILL go to Pacific even if I had to pay back 4 years. I have loved my time here and I have learned a ton.

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Would you still have gone to Pacific even if you could not apply your HPSP to that school? Or would you have just gone to another school? that is the real question and decision I have to make

sorry to be off topic... Does the military start to pay the monthly stipend @ a reasonable time when starting the program? The army paid for my undergrad education and they took their time about my money in the begining.

hevychevyxl said:

sorry to be off topic... Does the military start to pay the monthly stipend @ a reasonable time when starting the program? The army paid for my undergrad education and they took their time about my money in the begining.

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From what I have heard from current HPSP dental students, yes the military is a bit late on giving you your stipend for a few months, but then you look in your bank account one day and you have $6000, so they catch up on whatever you missed. Im planning on having a few thousand dollars ready to support myself for the first month or so when I start school.

I may also draw from my student loans even though its only $3000 Im qualified to receive per 9 month period, since I lose most eligibility for loans since tuition is covered and the stipend is included as a resource and thus lowers eligibility also. Yeah Im planning on trying to borrow 3-4K from personal loans for housing until the stipend kicks in. Im pretty sure that since the HPSP funds are guaranteed, so according to the financial advisors at UoP, the school will let me take at 1000-1500 before any of the funds come in.

Good question. Could potentially be a budget crunch

agent2362 said:

Would you still have gone to Pacific even if you could not apply your HPSP to that school? Or would you have just gone to another school? that is the real question and decision I have to make

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Nope. I would go to another school. I do love Pacific, but not that much.