<p>Know that the appropriate amount must be out there somewhere. The HS my D is graduating from wants to publish a list of scholarship amounts received by the class of '07. I have found amounts for the SAs that range from one congressman's website of "$150000" to another's estimate of "... over $300000. Could someone steer me to a site where an authoritative figure for the monetary value of the appointment may be found?</p>
<p>Semper Fi</p>
<p>It seems from threads here and on other sites, the latter is used. You may want to call the Academy and ask, and let us all know what you learn.</p>
<p>The monetary value of a USNA education based on the Class of 2005 was $286,000 per graduate. </p>
<p>See the admissions briefing at: <a href="http://www.cyberpear.com/exec/usna_admissions_brief.ppt%5B/url%5D">http://www.cyberpear.com/exec/usna_admissions_brief.ppt</a></p>
<p>For the Class of 2006, the value was $315,000 per graduate. This figure was provided by LT Bobby Jones at the USNA Open House conducted at the Navay Memorial in Oct 2006.</p>
<p>Figures for the Class of 2007 won't be available until this summer.</p>
<p>I would use the $315K figure for your purposes. FYI, the cost of an education at West Point and USAFA is higher than at USNA.</p>
<p>there is no monetary equivalent for selling your soul for that long! Kidding by the way. Hope you all are doing well.</p>
<p>I was told by my regional officer that a West Point education is worth $350K</p>
<p>You know, I was wondering- why is a service academy education valued at such a high monetary value? $350k!? Really!? Thats like $88k/year, almost twice as expensive per year as a private school.</p>
<p>But yeah, why is it so expensive? Is it because at a service academy you get to use military weapons and whatnot along with getting an education?</p>
<p>I'm not sure why it is so high. It might be because of the military training, IDK. You could try looking up how much it costs to train an infantryman in the army and see if that makes up the difference in cost.</p>
<p>Because it's gov't money and we all know the hammer they buy costs them $200. The very same hammer at Sears costs $35. </p>
<p>Just kidding....kind of.</p>
<p>That price probably includes room & board, clothing/uniforms, dental & medical as well as cost of summer training, military supplies, monthly stipend, etc... When you factor those secondary expenses in, I can see where it would easily be that expensive.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You know, I was wondering- why is a service academy education valued at such a high monetary value? $350k!? Really!? Thats like $88k/year, almost twice as expensive per year as a private school.</p>
<p>But yeah, why is it so expensive? Is it because at a service academy you get to use military weapons and whatnot along with getting an education?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The cost of an education at a top tier private university is approximately $50,000 per year. For example, the cost for my son to attend RPI is currently estimated at approximately $48,100 for the first year. That cost excludes transportation and personal expenses. The cost breaks down as follows:</p>
<p>Tuition - 34,900
Fees - 978
Room & Board - 10,420
Books & Supplies - 1,802
TOTAL - 48,100</p>
<p>The value of a service academy education includes the military training. Sending midshipmen around the world for summer cruises isn't cheap. They get to fly jets and other aircraft at thousands of dollars per flight hour. Add in the fact that the midshipmen receive a salary of approximately $40,000 over four years. And then there is the cost associated with teaching the midshipmen with "real" professors vs. "slave labor" TA's / graduate student instructors. And the fact that there is a low student to faculty ratio adds to the cost. Medical and dental care is also provided; some midshipmen receive orthodontics ($5,000) and some receive PRK eye surgery ($7,000).</p>
<p>Add it all up: PRICELESS!</p>
<p>
[quote]
"real" professors vs. "slave labor" TA's / graduate student instructors
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And what do you call the faculty at USNA who only have masters or who are in from the fleet? </p>
<p>And I quote "I have not had calculus since being here at the Academy so I will be learning this along with you" - the so called real professor that my son's roommate had for calculus I. I'll take the TA any day over that.</p>
<p>As for TA's somehow being inferior is not the case at most research universities. Most TA's are eating, breathing and sleeping their subject matter where as most full professors have many other responsibilities so in the end the undergrads actually are getting better instruction with some TA's. (I can only speak for Engineering - don't know if that holds in the LA's.) Also remember that the TA who you perceive as being inferior will be an assistant professor in the very near future who then has miraculously earned your designation as "real." I have had and I am around TA's that are much better instructors than some full professors. As for slave labor, find out what they are getting paid and what their responsibilities are...you would be surprised at what they actually make on an hourly basis...</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>All civilian faculty have doctorates. A portion of the military officers are permanent military professors and also have doctorates. Therefore the ones with masters degrees are only those junior officers in from the fleet. They become role models for the midshipmen and bring fresh ideas and experiences from the operational Navy. Their contribution to the molding of our young future Naval Officers is invaluable. They make up a very small percentage of the "academic" departments and are usually confined to the very basic courses in those departments. The vast majority of these officers are in the professional, leadership, navigation, weapons, seamanship, etc areas where their experience proves invaluable.</p>
<p>And since this is a monetary thread, I will not veer too far off topic. A Navy Lieutentant Aviator with eight years seniority, typical for an Academy instructor, would have an annual salary of $92,208. And probably the federal pay scale doesn't hurt our civilian faculty pay wise either.</p>
<p>I would think that officers who have graduated from Test Pilot School, Navy Post Graduate School, Nuclear Power School, etc. have more than the credentials necessary to teach entry level Calculus. And probably a select engineering course here and there also. However, they are primarily there to provide real fleet experiences and examples to the midshipmen.</p>
<p>
[quote]
A portion of the military officers are permanent military professors and also have doctorates. Therefore the ones with masters degrees are only those junior officers in from the fleet.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>For many this is the case but it is certainly not a hard rule. Just go to the faculty listing and you will see permanent military faculty and senior military faculty with only master’s degrees. I certainly would call any one with a master’s degree a "real" professor and most, if not 99% of all TA's have master’s degrees. (Professor is not the best choice of words - instructor is better) My point is that at all institutions you will have some great instructors and some less than desirable. You really cannot use the perceived quality of the instructor's to add value to the cost of the education.</p>
<p>Don't think you can add into the value of the education that at USNA you are somehow getting a higher costing (paid) instructor either.</p>
<p>The pay scales at USNA are vary similar to most Engineering Schools.
<a href="http://www.usna.edu///AcDean/facultyinfo/salary/salary07.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.usna.edu///AcDean/facultyinfo/salary/salary07.pdf</a>
<a href="http://www.usna.edu//AcDean/facultyinfo/salary/salaryrate07.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.usna.edu//AcDean/facultyinfo/salary/salaryrate07.pdf</a></p>
<p>A starting faculty - new PhD, first university job starting as an assistant professor - at a major research/ engineering institution will start with a 9 month salary in the $70,000 range. (most will be guaranteed for the first year to two years a 12 month contract) $93,000 annual. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Because it's gov't money and we all know the hammer they buy costs them $200. The very same hammer at Sears costs $35.
Just kidding....kind of.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So the analogy that the cost of the hammer is somehow more expensive because it is the government is not valid.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>actually the analogy that a hammer is somehow more expensive because it is the government IS valid because of the tendency of the government to demand "gold plating". Because of the defense department's excessive demands on the products they used, the cost of each product is therefore much higher.</p>
<p>I guess a better example is a toilet that is installed onto those heavy bombers that have to fly across oceans: you can't install the $100 dollar toilet on it because it wouldn't be able to withstand shrapnel, reflect radar, fit in its designated space on the plane, and would probably be too heavy too. Therefore, the super toilet that meets all those requirements is the only toilet that will meet the defense department's demands. Though it too serves the same purpose as the $100 toilet, it costs 4 times more.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I did before I made the above post and there are maybe a half dozen or so civilian instructors, mostly professors emeriti, who do not have doctorates, all of whom probably have special expertise. One, for example is on loan from the NSA. The guideline is that civilian faculty must have doctorates. Also, to be designated a Senior Military Professor, by definition, one must have a doctorate degree.</p>
<p>I don't think this discussion is about the perceived value of a SA education but rather explaining the actual $$s that go into the three hundred and whatever thousand dollar figure that the academies quote as the cost of the education.</p>
<p>
I should not have stated "only" junior officers. In addition to the Associate Department Chair, which is required to be senior military, usually from the fleet, there are perhaps a dozen or so senior non-permanent Naval officer instructors scattered throughout the traditional academic departments. The only permanent military officer instructors/professors are the Permanent Military Professors, who are senior officers with doctorates.</p>
<p>Whatever the monetary value of the education, just remember, it’s crammed up your a$$ a nickel at a time ;)</p>