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Basic Overview
The HPSP is an excellent program for those who need help financing
their optometric education. The basic premise is that for
every year the Army pays for your school, you will owe one year of
Active Duty*. You will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in
the Army upon initial entry of the program, then as a Captain in Active
Duty upon completion of school.
*There is a three year minimum for your Active Duty
obligation. Example: if the Army is paying for two years, you
will owe three years of active duty.
Benefits
During School
- Tuition
100% covered
- Reimbursement
for equipment, books, and laptop rental
- A
monthly stipend of about $1600 (as of 2007 - adjusted yearly) for 10.5
months
- 2nd
Lieutenant Active Duty Pay for the remainder six weeks (~$3600, as of
2007)
Benefits in the Army
- Opportunities
for paid continuing professional education
- Thirty
(30) days paid annual vacation, plus ten (10) Federal holidays
- Periodic
length-of-service pay increases
- Tax-exempt
housing allowance or government housing available
- Tax-exempt
subsistence allowance
- Noncontributory
retirement and disability pay
- Payment
of travel expenses and shipping charges for household goods
- Medical,
dental and hospital care for you and your eligible family members
- Commissary
and post exchange privileges provide significant savings on everyday
goods
- Low-cost
term life insurance and survivors benefits
- Optional
participation in a military Thrift Savings Program (for retirement)
- Entry
level pay is ~ $51,526, Pay after four years is ~ $63,624 (not
including benefits, special pay, and subsistence allowance)
Incentives
- Optometry
Special Pay ($1,200 on top of base pay)
- Board
Certification Pay for FAAO
- Optometry
Retention Bonus after completion of initial HPSP or ROTC commitment
($6,000 on top of base pay)
- Fully
funded Long Term Health Education and Training programs:
- Military
residency programs (one year program)
- Fellowship/MBA
programs (two year program)
- Ph.D.
in Physiologic Optics (three year program)
- Commissioning
as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves at initial HPSP entry, then as
a Captain in Active Duty upon completion of school
- Attend
annual 6-week long Active Duty Training (ADT)
- Complete
the Medical Service Corps Officers’ Basic Course (MSC OBC)
- Complete
one year of active duty for each HPSP-paid year (with a minimum of
three years of active duty)
Links for
More Info
Source of some
of the information from http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/doem/vision/Army/join.asp |
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