2 year Air Force HPSP

[RckymntnDent]

Does anyone have experience with the 2 year HPSP scholarship?
I know the Air Force pretty much makes you do the AEGD (which doesn’t count towards the payback) then you owe 3 years of service. So 4 years total. I go to a pretty pricey Dental school. I’m looking at about $500k in debt when I graduate, so HPSP looks like a nice option, even if it is only half of my tuition.
My main concern is if it will be a challenge to live off of the AF salary while making monthly payments on my remaining $250k in student loan debt. I’m married and we plan on having kids in the next few years.
I’m also interested in specializing, which throws an extra monkey wrench into the equation.
Any insight would be much appreciated!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[D1Bound]

I know having the military health insurance and having children would be pretty amazing. There's a lot of moving parts to your situation. Making loan payments off of a military dentist salary and supporting a family would be very frugal living. If your spouse worked that would help quite a lot. If you want to specialize the military is a great place to do it, but it delays that much needed high earning income that you're going to need. I think the military route is great for being 100% debt free, but here I'm not quite so sure it would be worth it. If you moved to a super rural spot in Texas or Florida working 6 days a week for example you could clean your loans up in a reasonable time frame. I would find someone really smart about student loans, a dentist's earning potential, and really consider the opportunity cost and how this would impact the people around you. I've recently started to understand the gravity of how much dentists can really earn, and it's a heck of a lot more than the national average.

 

[knewstance]

I don't think that is a great deal. You take a pay cut for 4 years in exchange for 2 years of tuition.

I'd be looking for a rural job that has high daily guarantees/salary and live there for 3-5 years while you get those loans knocked out. If you love the income+location after that time, stay there. If you don't love the place that much, you have the freedom to move bc your loans are done.

 

[Bananaana]

I currently have the 2 year AF HPSP. The AEGD does not add on a year. There is a minimum of a 3 year payback for the 2 year scholarship. I also got into the AEGD and my payback is 3 years, not 4.

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

Currently in the AEGD-1 in the Air Force. I did the 3-year HPSP.
I'll tell you, I've learned more in the last two months than I did in all of dental school. No exaggeration. I know a lot of classmates who probably are doing the same in private practice, but the benefit of the AEGD in the Air Force is two fold.
1) Money doesn't matter. At all. I've done perio surgeries and implant restorations and crowns and endo on cases where private practice would have probably just extracted it and called it good. I've learned more about materials and cool toys because Uncle Sam (thank you taxpayers of America) pays for it. We get to do the "ideal dentistry" on every. single. case. That is pretty darn cool, and frankly gets us more experience in a lot of areas than our civilian counterparts (though again, I know PP gets plenty of experience).
2) You're still "supervised" and so you can do some neat procedures with the umbrella of a specialist guiding/teaching you, without paying for CE and making some really dumb mistakes because you're now "qualified".

All that is to say, though my path to dentistry was right for me (3-year HPSP and AEGD-1 residency), I know it's not for everyone and saying that, the 2-year HPSP may not be the right call for you. It's just up to you.

At the end of the day we'll pay back our loans that we may have, make decent money, and do something we hopefully enjoy.

 

[Maintainer]

Currently in the AEGD-1 in the Air Force. I did the 3-year HPSP.
I'll tell you, I've learned more in the last two months than I did in all of dental school. No exaggeration. I know a lot of classmates who probably are doing the same in private practice, but the benefit of the AEGD in the Air Force is two fold.
1) Money doesn't matter. At all. I've done perio surgeries and implant restorations and crowns and endo on cases where private practice would have probably just extracted it and called it good. I've learned more about materials and cool toys because Uncle Sam (thank you taxpayers of America) pays for it. We get to do the "ideal dentistry" on every. single. case. That is pretty darn cool, and frankly gets us more experience in a lot of areas than our civilian counterparts (though again, I know PP gets plenty of experience).
2) You're still "supervised" and so you can do some neat procedures with the umbrella of a specialist guiding/teaching you, without paying for CE and making some really dumb mistakes because you're now "qualified".

All that is to say, though my path to dentistry was right for me (3-year HPSP and AEGD-1 residency), I know it's not for everyone and saying that, the 2-year HPSP may not be the right call for you. It's just up to you.

At the end of the day we'll pay back our loans that we may have, make decent money, and do something we hopefully enjoy.

Hi, may I ask you when the AF AEGD-1 starts and how competitive it is to get into the AEGD-1?

 

[BluntForceTrauma]

Hi, may I ask you when the AF AEGD-1 starts and how competitive it is to get into the AEGD-1?

Starts right after OTS at the end of July. So far as I know, they have slots for all HPSP people each year. Just about anyway.

 

[RckymntnDent]

I currently have the 2 year AF HPSP. The AEGD does not add on a year. There is a minimum of a 3 year payback for the 2 year scholarship. I also got into the AEGD and my payback is 3 years, not 4.

You are right! I stand corrected. I recently found out that while the AEGD is neutral year and does not add any extra service time or count as payback (adsc) for the HPSP. It does count towards the minimum "time in service". There is a 3 year minimum time in service regardless of the scholarship. So the 2 year HPSP incurs the 1 year AEGD, and 2 years of active duty service commitment (3 years total).
Just to clear up the confusion for anyone who may read this thread in the future.

 

[LFA20]

You are right! I stand corrected. I recently found out that while the AEGD is neutral year and does not add any extra service time or count as payback (adsc) for the HPSP. It does count towards the minimum "time in service". There is a 3 year minimum time in service regardless of the scholarship. So the 2 year HPSP incurs the 1 year AEGD, and 2 years of active duty service commitment (3 years total).
Just to clear up the confusion for anyone who may read this thread in the future.

Are you sure? I thought AEGD is neutral and does not count towards hpsp payback. This means you can’t start paying back your 3 year obligation until after AEGD

 

[ShortShortsDad]

Are you sure? I thought AEGD is neutral and does not count towards hpsp payback. This means you can’t start paying back your 3 year obligation until after AEGD

I think you are saying the same thing. Every officer has to “serve” a minimum of 8 years but that includes your ADSO plus IRR time - since IRR time is meaningless for most people they just discount it. The AEGD year will not count towards paying back the ADSO from the scholarship but would count towards retirement if you made the horrendous choice of doing a career or towards your “8 years” essentially reducing the number of years you’re on the books for IRR

 

[LFA20]

I think you are saying the same thing. Every officer has to “serve” a minimum of 8 years but that includes your ADSO plus IRR time - since IRR time is meaningless for most people they just discount it. The AEGD year will not count towards paying back the ADSO from the scholarship but would count towards retirement if you made the horrendous choice of doing a career or towards your “8 years” essentially reducing the number of years you’re on the books for IRR

I think he said

"So the 2 year HPSP incurs the 1 year AEGD, and 2 years of active duty service commitment (3 years total)"

I believe this is incorrect. Your ACTIVE commitment will total to 4 years(1 year during AEGD and 3 years for HPSP)

 

[lol105]

I think he said

"So the 2 year HPSP incurs the 1 year AEGD, and 2 years of active duty service commitment (3 years total)"

I believe this is incorrect. Your ACTIVE commitment will total to 4 years(1 year during AEGD and 3 years for HPSP)

1. If it is a year for year, his 2 year HPSP should incur 2 years of ADSO.
2. 1 year AEGD is a neutral year.
3. Thus if OP decided to do 1 year AEGD, it will be 1 Year for AEGD + 2 Year ADSO payback (for 2 year HPSP) = 3 years of active duty service

 

[LFA20]

1. If it is a year for year, his 2 year HPSP should incur 2 years of ADSO.
2. 1 year AEGD is a neutral year.
3. Thus if OP decided to do 1 year AEGD, it will be 1 Year for AEGD + 2 Year ADSO payback (for 2 year HPSP) = 3 years of active duty service

I thought 2 year hpsp incurs a 3 year payback??

 

[LFA20]

2 year Air Force HPSP

Does anyone have experience with the 2 year HPSP scholarship? I know the Air Force pretty much makes you do the AEGD (which doesn’t count towards the payback) then you owe 3 years of service. So 4 years total. I go to a pretty pricey Dental school. I’m looking at about $500k in debt when I...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[lol105]

I thought 2 year hpsp incurs a 3 year payback??

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/osfs/files/2016/09/Air-Force-HPSP-Presentation-9-13-16.pdf

slide 12

 

[LFA20]

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/osfs/files/2016/09/Air-Force-HPSP-Presentation-9-13-16.pdf

slide 12

I stand corrected 👍

 

[knewstance]

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/osfs/files/2016/09/Air-Force-HPSP-Presentation-9-13-16.pdf

slide 12

It looks like that is specifically targeted at physicians. May not be the same for dental.

 

[RckymntnDent]

https://www.bumc.bu.edu/osfs/files/2016/09/Air-Force-HPSP-Presentation-9-13-16.pdf

slide 12

Yes, that slide is accurate for dental too. I’m starting the AEGD this upcoming fall and cleared this up because it is kind of confusing.

1. The 2 year HPSP scholarship has a 2 year “active duty service commitment”.
2. However the Air Force requires a minimum of 3 years “Time in service”.
3. The AEGD is a “neutral year” and won’t incur an extra year, but counts towards the “time in service” requirement.

So, as a 2-year HPSP scholarship recipient, you’re going to end up doing 3 years total regardless. Whether you are selected for an AEGD spot or not.
It will either be AEGD for 1 year, then 2 as a general dentist. Or just 3 as a general dentist.

As a side note. You are not allowed to be stationed at any OCONUS bases (overseas, including Hawaii and Alaska), if you don’t do an AEGD.