<p>This may have been covered but i will ask anyway. I have seen here that a typical plebe nets out about $100 per month. (after all deductions and other things) this is based on a percentage of ensign pay. Now if congress approves a 3.5% increase in base pay for fy08 does that mean the Midn.4c W.T. Door will now take home $103+/-?</p>
<p>I ask this as I look back through the threads from 04-06 and the pay was quoted at $100 then. Now 0-1 base has gone through several raises since then but is the net eaten up by taxes?
Also Zaphod, 69, GA, Grad&Dad, to give us some perspective what were you guys pulling in around plebe year. It goes to perspective as well cause in 1969 you could buy a coke for 15cents or so.</p>
<p>Way back when I was a plebe (1976-1977), we received a monthly allowance of $50. We received a larger allowance in December for the Christmas leave period; I don't recall the exact figure but it may have been in the $125-150 range.</p>
<p>Midshipmen pay used to be ½ of the base pay of an Ensign. Midshipmen pay (and Cadet pay) was frozen after Senator Proxmire found out how much we were being paid when he visited the academy to speak at a Forrestal lecture; this occured in the 1977-78 time period. Apparently, the Senator was of the opinion that Midshipmen were overpaid. Proxmire was infamous for his "Golden Fleece" awards for Government waste.</p>
<p>Midshipmen/cadet pay is now on a separate scale instead of being linked to Ensign pay.</p>
<p>I thought we were still being paid on the 1/2 Ensign rate scale into the mid-80s. But maybe not -- we got what we got and only cared about what we saw. You are correct that mid pay is no longer tied to Ensign pay.</p>
<p>I also don't think the portion they see has necessarily kept up with inflation. We saw (per month) $60/$120/$180/$350ish over the 4 years. The big increase the last year was to help pay for our cars. :)</p>
<p>^^^^^
In addition to the monthly allowance, plebes now have a charge card that they can use at the mid store. The charge card debits funds from their funny money accounts. So, in effect, plebes have no limit on how much money they spend on the Yard, with some actually in debt to the mid store at the end of the year.</p>
<p>Scary, in some ways. I think we had unlimited charges for books but that was it. One of the things you learned when you only had $60/month was how to manage money. Unfortunately, in our day, much of it was spent on alcohol (as the drinking age was 18 for beer and maybe wine). Still, what you spent on that, you didn't have for anything else.</p>
<p>Huh... Judging from the thread there may not be much truth to it, but we were always told that mids recieved 1/3 of ensign base pay. Which tips the scale right now at just under $800/month. If its no longer linked to ensign pay, its still pretty close to 1/3</p>
<p>looking at the numbers from GA it does not even cover inflation. In the late seventies, $50-$250 a month really bought you something. The $100 4/C-$400 1/C a month we are hearing about now doesnt even cover a few pizzas plebe year. And with the the food issues, take out at gate zero means so much more.
Oh I digress their were never any food issues.. just one meal. There is plenty of food and it isnt green.</p>
<p>^^^^^
If midshipmen pay was still ½ the base pay of an Ensign, they would probably be on par from a financial standpoint. Cutting that link has put midshipmen compensation behind as suggested by xchefmike.</p>
<p>At least nobody is starving at USNA. I take that back; according to the meddling moms they are starving. :D</p>
<p>^^^^ if you are going to quote the mm's then do so correctly.</p>
<p>The operational word is "were."
They "were" starving.</p>
<p>I guess putting food into the "optional, secondary and conditional" catagory did not sit well with mids, parents, SOME alumni and ALL of the board of visitors!!!!!!!!!!! </p>
<p>anyway- it is history.<br>
the quantity has been addressed.
Now let them work on the quality.</p>
<p>And thank goodness there are mm's that are willing to call a spade a spade....
too bad there aren't more of us!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also Zaphod, 69, GA, Grad&Dad, to give us some perspective what were you guys pulling in around plebe year. It goes to perspective as well cause in 1969 you could buy a coke for 15cents or so.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Since you asked by name...</p>
<p>My first semester Plebe Year (1987), I was pulling down $50 after taxes and other garnishments. Second semester it went up to a whopping $100 per month. Basically, I lived off what I had saved while at NAPS.</p>
<p>Remember mids never see ALL their pay. Plebes of 2010 got 100$ a month - this year's Youngsters get 200$/month of their pay. I can't speak for the other classes but it goes successively higher per year.</p>
<p>Quick question about pay; if someone receives, say, a $10,000 scholarship, can that money be put towards USNA to raise the monthly allowance? Or does USNA not accept scholarship money?</p>
<p>^^^^^
USNA will accept scholarships and place the proceeds into the midshipman's account that is managed by the academy. The monthly allowance is the same for all midshipmen by class regardless of the balance in their individual accounts. Any funds remaining in the account at the end of your fours years will be paid out in cash (check).</p>