Navy Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program (BDCP)

With the Navy experiencing cut-backs I was dropped from ROTC and I am looking for other options to join. Can anyone offer advice on this program for me?

Navy Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program (BDCP):

If you’re a civilian or enlisted inactive reservist of any armed service working toward your bachelor’s degree, the Navy’s Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program (BDCP) could give you the financial boost you need to complete your college degree requirements-and help you become a Naval Reserve officer at the same time.

As a member of the program you will:

Be in active duty status;
Receive a full salary, benefits, and allowances;
Continue your college education.
You’ll pay for your tuition, books and other school-related expenses while completing your bachelor’s degree. No uniform requirements apply until after graduation.

Technical majors such as mathematics, science and engineering are highly desired, but students in most curricular are eligible for BDCP.

To apply for the Navy’s BDCP, you must:

Be a U.S. Citizen;
Be at least 18 but not more than 34 before degree completion. (Most officer programs have lower age requirements.);
Meet Navy physical standards;
Have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale;
Be enrolled in or accepted for transfer to a regionally accredited four-year college or university with at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter-hours of accredited college or university credit.
Qualified applicants may be accepted into most officer communities, including surface warfare, aviation, SEAL, explosive ordnance disposal, supply, aeronautical maintenance duty, intelligence, cryptology, or oceanography.

If you’re selected for the BDCP, you must:

Complete college as a full-time student as soon as possible;
Maintain a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA or higher if required by the specific officer community for which selected;
Report your college grades to the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command after completing each semester or quarter;
Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree according to a previously approved degree completion plan.
After earning your bachelor’s degree in BDCP, you’ll be enrolled in the next available Officer Candidate School (OCS) class in Pensacola, Florida. Classes last about 13 weeks.

Upon successful completion of OCS, you’ll be commissioned an officer in the Naval Reserve.

As a selectee, your service obligation is four years of active duty, then four years in an inactive status unless otherwise required by your officer community. Candidates who leave the program before commissioning (for any reason other than medical) must serve two years of active duty in an enlisted status.

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/miami/OPO/BDCP.htm

 

Bump! Anyone give their opinion?

 

^what do you want to know... I did this program to gain my commission its a great program 2 years for non-technical majors and 3 years for technical degrees

like it says you basically enlisted with a delayed entry commissioning program I was an E3 for a year and a E4 for a year (I recruited a buddy). You have full pay, benefits, and privileges (including housing allowance, and Subsistence allowance) as an active duty enlisted man. You don't have to wear a uniform or shave until OCS. OCS was cake...13 week boot camp run by Marine Corps Drill instructors with a USN chief and a class LT. OCS has its own rules and what not...

You basically are in the Navy with school as your sole job. I had to meet with my officer recruiter twice a month (once in person and once by phone)... depends on your recruiter... You will have to maintain atleast a 3.0 to stay in the program but a higher GPA will be required for certain designators. You will also have to do all PRTs and pass within standards... additionally you will be subject to random urinalysis.

I got paid about $35,000 (with all allowances added up) a year just to go to school. Remember BDCP only applies to certain designators though and you must meet their requirements before getting into the program. You will screen for you designator before enlisting... Oh and if you do leave once in you will be stuck as a undesignated deck seaman for two years (swabbing decks, chipping paint, serving food...etc)

There is a test that you have to take too... I forgot the name. And OCS is in Newport R.I now not Pensacola anymore...

 

Thanks for responding.

I know it's a dream many have and many fail but, I want to be a SEAL. I don't need the speech about 10 men try and 1 succeeds. I know the odds. I have started my training early and determined to succeed. I just want to leave it at that.

I attend Cornell University with a 3.6 GPA in a non-technical major (pre-law). Don't do drugs. Got all of the partying out of me freshman year of college.

I am a second semester sophomore. Do you have a suggested "track" for me or suggestions with applying for the program? The recruiter I spoke with made it sound like the program was very competitive, that they don't just hand these contracts out.

 

Certain designators are more competitive than others... it sounds like you would be competitive the only thing I might be concerned with is you major especially if you want to go SEAL.

I suggest you just apply and see how it goes. Pick a second designator as a back up and study for the test... its not the ASVAB its called the ASTB (Aviation Selection Test Battery). The test is basically math aptitude, spatial recognition, reading comp, aviation/nautical information, and mechanical reasoning. Its a test for pilots but they use it to screen for BDCP. This test will determine if and which designators you qualify for... however, if there is low demand for the designator (i.e intel or crypto) then you won't get accepted, so thats why I suggest a backup (I would look into EOD... as close to SEAL as you're gonna get without being a SEAL in the navy)... theres also SWCC (special warfare Comdantant-craft crewman) but I don't know if thats a BDCP program... probably goes hand-in-hand with SEAL.

So basically they do not hand these contracts out... there are three main factors
1. Your competitiveness (grades, major, age)
2. Designator Demand
3. Test score

SEALs are tough... but honestly OCS and BUDS will get you into shape as long as you're not a fat slob. But a little pre-training will make it easier. I had a couple of pre-SEALs and some prior enlisted SEALs in my OCS class and they were tough but not "supermen" Its more mental than anything...

Anyway if thats what you want then go for it.

I think BDCP is the best commissioning path possible to college kids. You get paid well to do nothing but goto school (which you were anyway) plus those 2 or 3 years count towards time in service. So for example I've been commissioned for 6 years now but I have 8 years of service which bumps me into a higher pay scale and puts me 2 years closer to the 20 year retirement.

OCS will whip you into the military mindset quick.

 

So just got off the phone with the recruiter. He told me that they were closed off for BDCP for 2013 class. Basically I applied too late. I said he would recheck to see if spots have opened up but I'm not optimistic.

Any suggestions?

 

I would see if I can get my application in as a stand by if and when a spot opens up... the process takes quite a bit of time. Additionally I'd try to take the ASTB or at least set up a time to do so. The recruiter might not let you reserve a standby spot but if you are serious about doing BDCP and he's a decent recruiter then... he should.

Did he say they were full for all BDCP or just your SEAL designator?

 

It sounded like they weren't excepting BDCPs at all expect for Nuclear guys. I'm gonna try and get a stand-by if that is offered.

But, I mean I want to be a SEAL. I know the Navy makes their own decisions but, I will at least make sure I get a shot at BUD/S. If that means I have to enlist so be it. But I want my shot.

 

I find that weird that they aren't accepting anything for BDCP... call another Recruiting district and verify just in case your recruiter is blowing smoke up your ass. Sometimes the recruiter is lazy... Officer recruiters don't have the quota like enlisted recruiters and BDCP takes a lot of paperwork and what not on his part. And sometime the officer recruiter is working with the enlisted recruiter to bump up his totals... especially for SpecWar designators.

Well, BUDS accepts from all designators... you can alway get in with another designator fullfill your first obligation then apply for BUDS. Intel and supply are always great was to lead into SEALS because they are usually overmanned and its easy to switch out of...

Plus enlisting... you will hate it... especially with the grades and school you're going to... you'll obviously be smarter (at least educationally) than the majority of the high school kids around you in the lower enlisted ranks... and probably a good chunk of the officers over you.

 

I really appreciate your feedback and working with me.

He said they were full basically for my class (year) 2013. I will give another recruiter a call however.

My first obligation would be 2 years, correct? If I HAD to do that I would but, I would need to get a designation that is easy to lateral transfer from, correct?

As for me being smarter than some, you can obviously tell by my spelling in my last post, excepting = accepting, and expect = except. Wow Nick.

 

Your obligation will be 4 years... but your first tour will be about 30 months before you can transfer at which you could apply for SEALS well you'll start the process before you transfer... but you get the idea. If you go supply you can actually be stationed with a SEAL team (very difficult to do do the way the billets are assigned out of Supply School, but possible). I have two friends who did that to get into SEALS.

if you call another recruiter try another region outside of the NE... try the south or something...

 

What exactly do you do in supply because just from the word it seems terribly boring?

 

It can get boring but I have the best life on the ship...

As a supply officer, and manage all the money, repair parts, food, and stores on a ship... I am basically a restaurant manager, warehouse manager, bank manager, and department store manager rolled into one.

however, I am now a contracting officer. Basically I interface with private business who have contracts for work throughout the military. I do finance, Accounting, Negotiating, legal, monitoring, compliance and what not. I bind the United States government to a contract with private sources. I am a business manager within the Navy managing contracts in the Millions of dollars range. I can do everything from basic services for bases all the way to programs for new weapon systems. So if a base in Iraq needs security services, electricity, etc they come to someone like me... who makes the legal and business contacts with private enterprise to fulfill the requirement for the military

 

Interesting...The marines offer this program but it is super competitive and only open for active duty guys. Im going to call my local Navy Officer recruiter on mon. Thanks for the Info.