What Is Expected When Attending the US Naval Academy?
This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Steven Frazier, an Admissions Counselor at the USNA, in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.
What’s Covered:
In this post, we will discuss the costs, and additional commitments, associated with attending the United States Naval Academy (USNA). For more information on applying to USNA, check out our post about how to get into USNA.
Scholarships and Stipends
When you attend any of the service academies in the United States, you receive a full scholarship. This means that tuition, room and board, medical and dental, and all of your food will be paid for. You also receive a monthly stipend of $1,185 as part of this scholarship.
You’ll personally receive between $100 and $600 of that stipend every month. The rest goes to pay for your textbooks, computer, and uniforms, so you’ll never be paying for anything out of pocket.
If you’re recommended for the Naval Academy Preparatory School, that is also fully paid for. With regards to the Civilian Preparatory Program and the Foundation Program, which are additional preparatory options, costs vary depending on which school you attend. The USNA does provide financial assistance, which can range from partial aid to 100% coverage, depending on the specific program you enroll in.
Summer and Service Commitments
With all of this financial support comes additional responsibility. As a USNA student, you won’t be taking summers off from school as most college students do. Each summer, you’ll participate in a Fleet Cruise, where you’ll gain experience with the Navy and the Marine Corps.
The summer before your freshman year, you’ll attend Plebe Summer, which is a seven-week, boot camp-style training program. You’ll learn what it’s like to be a student at USNA and get ready to succeed during your first academic year.
The summer before your sophomore year, you’ll attend a Career Exposure program. You’ll spend a week working on a submarine, a week with the Marine Corps, a week with an aviation squadron, and a week with the Surface Fleet, giving you a chance to see what it’s like to work in each of those areas, one of which you may have an opportunity to work in later on.
The summer before your junior year, you’ll spend four weeks shadowing an enlisted member of the Navy, doing everything they do. Then, during the summer before your senior year, you’ll complete another shadowing experience, this time with an officer since that’s what you’ll become following your senior year.
Once you graduate from the USNA, you’ll earn your Bachelor of Science and your commission as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps. There’s a five-year service commitment, which is a bit longer if you go into aviation. You’ll most likely be finished with your service commitments before you turn 30.
If you are interested in learning more about other military colleges in the United States, check out this article: Guide to Military Colleges: Should You Attend One?
