Scroll approval where are you

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Question for all: Does anyone find it curious how mysterious this whole process? I try to get info from my recruiters and they all just say similar stuff: "We're not really sure why it takes so long." or "Scroll approval is completely out of our hands." I don't think I'm being lied to, but I do think there is information we're not being told. Why would they string us along for so many months, especially when we have jobs, homes, moving plans, and family ties that we have to inevitably wrap-up before going to COT? Why not give us greater clarity, sooner?
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DavidTHOC said:
Question for all: Does anyone find it curious how mysterious this whole process? I try to get info from my recruiters and they all just say similar stuff: "We're not really sure why it takes so long." or "Scroll approval is completely out of our hands." I don't think I'm being lied to, but I do think there is information we're not being told. Why would they string us along for so many months, especially when we have jobs, homes, moving plans, and family ties that we have to inevitably wrap-up before going to COT? Why not give us greater clarity, sooner?
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I'm not even sure if my letter of acceptance and SF-86 has been turned in by my recruiter because he has not answered my calls/texts in the past week. Youre in a better position to me. And I saw on the contract for AFHPSP that I have to do COT training before any benefits? I might turn down the HPSP all together. I probably wont get approved in time to start med school.
 
DavidTHOC said:
lol I don't even think marching DC would help our approval. The whole thing is slower than molasses. My recruiter does seem to think that my scroll will approve before August 1st. But who knows, honestly. It could be one month, it could be 6 more.


Question for Fizzle_22 --- You talked about moving... Do you have orders to your first assignment already, even though you have been scrolled and subsequently sworn-in?
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I was referring to moving for school.


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jordansnfootbal said:
I'm not even sure if my letter of acceptance and SF-86 has been turned in by my recruiter because he has not answered my calls/texts in the past week. Youre in a better position to me. And I saw on the contract for AFHPSP that I have to do COT training before any benefits? I might turn down the HPSP all together. I probably wont get approved in time to start med school.
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I just emailed my recruiter about this and am waiting for an answer. I have the contract for FY2016 and 17. Both say the same thing but it doesn't seem that anybody I've spoken to from last year's cycle was denied benefits even though they didn't go to COT before school.


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fizzle_22 said:
I just emailed my recruiter about this and am waiting for an answer. I have the contract for FY2016 and 17. Both say the same thing but it doesn't seem that anybody I've spoken to from last year's cycle was denied benefits even though they didn't go to COT before school.


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Oh okay. Is sending the letter of acceptance, SF86, and signed contract the same as getting "scroll approved" or what?
 
jordansnfootbal said:
Oh okay. Is sending the letter of acceptance, SF86, and signed contract the same as getting "scroll approved" or what?
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No. I signed the letter of acceptance forever ago but have not signed my contract since I haven't been scroll approved. To my knowledge the scroll approval is something about being approved by congress or at least that's how my recruiter explained it


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fizzle_22 said:
No. I signed the letter of acceptance forever ago but have not signed my contract since I haven't been scroll approved. To my knowledge the scroll approval is something about being approved by congress or at least that's how my recruiter explained it


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Okay. I might just take school loans and once I am approved pay the school loans back. Also did you read the part about accepting the 20,000 dollar bonus? Why does it talk about adding 4 years to your ADO if you accept it? Wouldn't that make the ADO 8 years now? The contract is confusing.
 
fizzle_22 said:
No. I signed the letter of acceptance forever ago but have not signed my contract since I haven't been scroll approved. To my knowledge the scroll approval is something about being approved by congress or at least that's how my recruiter explained it
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Not really sure where the misconception that Congress has anything to do with the scroll came from. The scroll is basically a memorandum that lists the rank in which someone is applying, their last name(s) and the last four of their SSN(s). It is forwarded to the Big Personnel Office for each Service at the Pentagon, reviewed, They put a cover memorandum on it and hand it to Secretary of Defense for signature. For the Army it's the G-1, I have no idea what the other Services call their personnel office at the puzzle palace...Generally speaking the hold up is the review process.
 

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USArmyHPSP said:
Not really sure where the misconception that Congress has anything to do with the scroll came from. The scroll is basically a memorandum that lists the rank in which someone is applying, their last name(s) and the last four of their SSN(s). It is forwarded to the Big Personnel Office for each Service at the Pentagon, reviewed, They put a cover memorandum on it and hand it to Secretary of Defense for signature. For the Army it's the G-1, I have no idea what the other Services call their personnel office at the puzzle palace...Generally speaking the hold up is the review process.
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Wow that's crazy. Wasn't explained to me that way at all. Thanks for the info.


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DavidTHOC said:
lol I don't even think marching DC would help our approval. The whole thing is slower than molasses. My recruiter does seem to think that my scroll will approve before August 1st. But who knows, honestly. It could be one month, it could be 6 more.


Question for Fizzle_22 --- You talked about moving... Do you have orders to your first assignment already, even though you have been scrolled and subsequently sworn-in?
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Moving to start medical school
 
Just FYI. I start school on July 10th and still have not been scrolled. I talked with my recruiter who told me I need to apply for loans to pay for school, but when I talked to my financial aid office they told me that the school is fine on waiting for payment since I have already signed a letter of acceptance. Make sure if your recruiters tell you that you need to apply for loans that you double check with your school.
 
Buckeye_913 said:
Just FYI. I start school on July 10th and still have not been scrolled. I talked with my recruiter who told me I need to apply for loans to pay for school, but when I talked to my financial aid office they told me that the school is fine on waiting for payment since I have already signed a letter of acceptance. Make sure if your recruiters tell you that you need to apply for loans that you double check with your school.
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This is not very good advice. While the person you spoke with may be able to do this, what happens if they move and someone new assumes their duties at the billing office? What will happen if they try to access late fees (don't know about Air Force, but Army does not pay late fees)? There were several in the Air Force cohort last year, who did not oath until VERY LATE in the school year. What happens if the school just becomes inpatient and states you will not be allowed to enroll for XYZ semester, until the fall 2017 semester is paid?

Get the loan. Pay for the semester. When the scholarship comes through, pay off the loan and the very little interest it will accrue. It's better to have the money and not need it, than to need the money and not have it.
 
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USArmyHPSP said:
This is not very good advice. While the person you spoke with may be able to do this, what happens if they move and someone new assumes their duties at the billing office? What will happen if they try to access late fees (don't know about Air Force, but Army does not pay late fees)? There were several in the Air Force cohort last year, who did not oath until VERY LATE in the school year. What happens if the school just becomes inpatient and states you will not be allowed to enroll for XYZ semester, until the fall 2017 semester is paid?

Get the loan. Pay for the semester. When the scholarship comes through, pay off the loan and the very little interest it will accrue. It's better to have the money and not need it, than to need the money and not have it.
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All good points, but after the loan origination fee and interest for only a few months it would be a loss of over 1,000 dollars that I would pay out of pocket. In my FA office experience they have always received the full payment and have waived the late fees for the military. Either way it is a dilemma that I wish I wasn't in.
 
Buckeye_913 said:
All good points, but after the loan origination fee and interest for only a few months it would be a loss of over 1,000 dollars that I would pay out of pocket. In my FA office experience they have always received the full payment and have waived the late fees for the military. Either way it is a dilemma that I wish I wasn't in.
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Could take the loans and just pass on the military because they don't have their act together. This is only the first (and relatively minor) of the dillemas you will be put in as you pursue medicine through the military.
 
mr_doctor said:
Could take the loans and just pass on the military because they don't have their act together. This is only the first (and relatively minor) of the dillemas you will be put in as you pursue medicine through the military.
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You mean the Air Force does not have their act together, not the Military. All of my Army Applicants have already been accepted, enrolled and scroll approved.
 
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Armyhealth said:
You mean the Air Force does not have their act together, not the Military. All of my Army Applicants have already been accepted, enrolled and scroll approved.
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Haha you're getting my hopes up SSG! ;)
 
Potential Army HPSP and I'm moving forward with ponying up tuition and related costs as I'm sure I won't scroll until at least the Fall
 
no0dles said:
@Armyhealth how long did the scroll approval take for your earlier applicants?
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Somewhere between 30-60 days, they just changed the whole process for the Army. It is up to the individual recruiter to submit the scroll now, so have them check, double check and triple check! Also Medic741 Congrats, selected today for HPSP! I told you I would get it done it time! @Medic741
 
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If June scrolls were already approved, does that mean May is as well?
 
Signed my letter of acceptance on May 30 for the Air Force. I'm assuming I'm currently waiting for scroll approval. My recruiter has been very helpful up until this point, so I'm not really sure where I'm at. Though reading these posts about people not being approved til later has me nervous.
 
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allanMED15 said:
Signed my letter of acceptance on May 30 for the Air Force. I'm assuming I'm currently waiting for scroll approval. My recruiter has been very helpful up until this point, so I'm not really sure where I'm at. Though reading these posts about people not being approved til later has me nervous.
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Signed my letter of acceptance back in December. Scroll still not approved. Just saying


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I finally got scrolled, but am unsure when I'll be attending COT. Maybe August, possibly October. Air Force scrolls take forever. I don't know why. Recruiter put my name on the list in early January, and I just got notified on June 30th that my scroll has been approved. Insane that it took almost 6 months.
 
DavidTHOC said:
I finally got scrolled, but am unsure when I'll be attending COT. Maybe August, possibly October. Air Force scrolls take forever. I don't know why. Recruiter put my name on the list in early January, and I just got notified on June 30th that my scroll has been approved. Insane that it took almost 6 months.
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Yea that's crazy. Interesting you may do COT this year still. I was under the impression it's after M1. Are you starting school? Curious how you'll do that during school.
 
I'm actually not a doctor but a chaplain. I have my masters degree already. I just used this forum to try to learn more about scrolling.
 
allanMED15 said:
That's what I'm worried about too...
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My school is letting me borrow funds and HPSP will pay them back with no interest added (My recruiter already wrote them a letter). So I'm good. I just dont trust that I will get the money because I feel like even thought I was accepted I'm not REALLY accepted yet if you know what I mean. I'm def using some of the loan for a car that is forsure.
 
jordansnfootbal said:
My school is letting me borrow funds and HPSP will pay them back with no interest added (My recruiter already wrote them a letter). So I'm good. I just dont trust that I will get the money because I feel like even thought I was accepted I'm not REALLY accepted yet if you know what I mean. I'm def using some of the loan for a car that is forsure.
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Ah ok I see. How'd you go about getting that? Just emailed them about the situation?
 
The "letter of acceptance" for the Air Force is a great ploy. I should start doing those haha, great way to make you think have some sort of commitment to something when in fact you have not even signed a real contract yet. They are the only ones doing the pre "letter of acceptance" that I know of.
 
Armyhealth said:
The "letter of acceptance" for the Air Force is a great ploy. I should start doing those haha, great way to make you think have some sort of commitment to something when in fact you have not even signed a real contract yet. They are the only ones doing the pre "letter of acceptance" that I know of.
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Yea it definitely does seem like that. The document I "signed" was a plain word doc with the seal at the top.
 
HopefulPilot said:
At what point do you consider an applicant committed/obligated?
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Pretty sure it's when you sign your actual contract/oath. I wouldn't trust anything else.

You guys loving the radio silence right now on things that are important/need only a signature/should be doable in like 5 minutes? This is good prep for active duty. It happens All. The. Time.
 
dr zaius said:
Pretty sure it's when you sign your actual contract/oath. I wouldn't trust anything else.

You guys loving the radio silence right now on things that are important/need only a signature/should be doable in like 5 minutes? This is good prep for active duty. It happens All. The. Time.
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Yea that sounds about right. Luckily I have plenty of family and friends that have served that told me to expect radio silence for a while. So just hoping it comes through sometime soon.
 
I'm currently active duty, but set to separate 16 July, the day before my school's orientation. It was set up this way so that there would be no gaps in service. What happens if I don't oath on 17 July? I still haven't heard anything about scroll approval.
 
bommer1389 said:
I'm currently active duty, but set to separate 16 July, the day before my school's orientation. It was set up this way so that there would be no gaps in service. What happens if I don't oath on 17 July? I still haven't heard anything about scroll approval.
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My recruiter told me earlier today that as long as I commission before October, the Air Force will give me back pay for the missed time. But he didn't see it being likely to happen. He did mention I may have to get a loan for the 1st semester.
 
bommer1389 said:
I'm currently active duty, but set to separate 16 July, the day before my school's orientation. It was set up this way so that there would be no gaps in service. What happens if I don't oath on 17 July? I still haven't heard anything about scroll approval.
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I suppose if you do not sign your new oath you should be moved into the Air Force IRR which is not a big ordeal, however technically the IRR needs to sign a DD368 if you are assigned to the IRR to release you. Your situation is very specific to you, if you want to private message me feel free.
 
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@Armyhealth I had a question. If your recruiter sucks and barely replies to any of your messages/questions is it possible to get a new recruiter? Im AFHPSP and currently waiting for scroll approval.
 
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jordansnfootbal said:
@Armyhealth I had a question. If your recruiter sucks and barely replies to any of your messages/questions is it possible to get a new recruiter? Im AFHPSP and currently waiting for scroll approval.
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The problem with Air Force is they are the most spread out for Officer/Medical recruiting. They are usually a 1 or 2 person team, they have little accountability and cover a huge area. I cover most of upstate NY and I have yet to see a Air Force recruiter at any event I have ever done for the last two years. So yes you can request a new recruiter but while the next one you get may be better. I wouldn't count on it and they may be working with you remote which isn't a huge deal but can slow things a little. Everyone has a boss, ask for your recruiters supervisor's information and just the fact that you asked should move you up the priority list. Or ask @fizzle_22 what she did haha.
 
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Armyhealth said:
The problem with Air Force is they are the most spread out for Officer/Medical recruiting. They are usually a 1 or 2 person team, they have little accountability and cover a huge area. I cover most of upstate NY and I have yet to see a Air Force recruiter at any event I have ever done for the last two years. So yes you can request a new recruiter but while the next one you get may be better. I wouldn't count on it and they may be working with you remote which isn't a huge deal but can slow things a little. Everyone has a boss, ask for your recruiters supervisor's information and just the fact that you asked should move you up the priority list. Or ask @fizzle_22 what she did haha.
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