<p>hey, just out of curiosity, how much is the monthly stipend for USAFA cadets in their 4 deg year?</p>
<p>$150-something or so, after deductions, if I heard right...
Can someone speak from experience?</p>
<p>This year, four degrees take home $115 a month. There are rumors though of a pay increase for next year. Redhead knows all about this, I'm sure she'll stop by to clarify.</p>
<p>deductions meaning your uniform and laptop?</p>
<p>Those and services like laundry and barber will take a big chunk out of your pay.</p>
<p>Plus you have to pay state and federal taxes.</p>
<p>okay, i see. what is the stipend before any expenses? does in increase with time? and will i be the only one that gets what the academy gives me? meaning without scholarship "funny money" or extra cash from my parents, or even some funds from earlier savings.</p>
<p>$864?? I think I read that on the USAFA website.</p>
<p>$894.30. its the same from BCT to graduation, but you'll see more of it as time goes on, and you pay off your laptop, uniforms, etc</p>
<p>about 900 bucks a month huh? i am baffled that expenses will take away 750 bucks a month!</p>
<p>well taxes (100 or so), then laundry, barber, drycleaning, football tickets (taken out automatically), then also paying off your $10,000 loan that paid for your laptop and all of your uniforms, and then some going into that "magic money" account we talk about, you're down to $115.</p>
<p>wait, wait, wait. 10 thousand dollars for a laptop and a few uniforms?!?! that's insanse! so the uniforms can't cost more than 500 bucks, and a laptop maybe 3000 if its a real nice one. someone please explain! </p>
<p>p.s. what is "magic money"</p>
<p>That'd be nice if uniforms were only 500, but you have a lot of them. BDUs, ABUs, normal, athletic, dress, parade, later maybe flight.....</p>
<p>Magic money:<a href="http://www.usafatoday.org/wiki/index.php/Magic_Money%5B/url%5D">http://www.usafatoday.org/wiki/index.php/Magic_Money</a></p>
<p>plus, our laptops are pretty nice. We should be getting tablet PCs.</p>
<p>Our laptops were $2200, and uniforms are ridiculously expensive.</p>
<p>okay, i can see a laptop costing that much. but uniforms costing 7800 dollars? that is more than 3x the laptop!!! i think whoever the government is contracting with to get these uniforms is ripping us off. but thats just my opinion.</p>
<p>in addition, the loan also covers all issued items, including keyboard, cables, initial toiletries, shoe polish kit, pens/paper, comforter, hangars, stuff of that nature that they "give you" upon arrival. and as AZ and petko said, unforms cost a lot more than $500. each set of BDUs is a couple hundred, then blues, a-jackets, rain coat, parka, gortex, service dress, undershirts, underwear, socks, pt gear, running suit, etc etc. it adds up to quite a bit</p>
<p>yea, i guess thats true. so, do a lot of incoming cadets have a lot of money already due to generous parents, scholarship money, or just savings? will i be the only one with whatever USAFA gives me each month?</p>
<p>I had saved up in a job beforehand which was nice. I also tried not spending (don't really need to as a 4 dig) which helped me out. And my parents flew me home so I didn't have to pay for that.</p>
<p>flyboy</p>
<p>i'll be with you on that one, my parents might send me some but honestly, it probably wont be a ridiculous amount by anymeans...so we might be alone together, if that makes sense lol</p>
<p>lol, i get what you mean. i just wanted to know if the majority of cadets are going to have a significant amount of money in their bank account already due to previous savings or scholarship money or generous parents and what not.</p>
<p>For one, you won't see your scholarship money until February of your 3rd class year. Second, a lot of people will be in the same boat and not have a whole lot of money to throw around. I only knew a handful of people who either saved money at the prep school, had a savings account from high school, or asked their parents for money. The biggest expenses will be flying home...if your parents can take care of that, you should be fine.</p>