Army HPSP Changing Schools

[flossiraptor863]

Hey all,

I was wondering, with December 1 coming soon, we'll be hearing back from dental schools. I'm trying to find the best approach to the Army HPSP application. If the boards meet on January 12 or 26, many applicants will have submitted Letters of Acceptance. If I submit my LoA for school A, sign my contract, and then receive an interview/acceptance from school B, will I be able to apply my scholarship to school B, or am I committed to school A when I sign?

Although I could wait until boards meet without submitting an LoA, I'm more interested in a position with the Army than I am in going to a specific school. My odds are, I'm sure, better if I include a LoA with my file.

My recruiter implied that he had an applicant who attempted to switch schools but had trouble doing so. He didn't seem particularly sure as to whether it was possible or not, and didn't want to give me incorrect information.

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[tbiv21]

I was told you could but it is kind of a pain. I received the army HPSP in November of last year. I didn't actually swear in until May because I was waiting on my number 1 choice and heard from them in May. I just let my recruiters know when I got accepted Dec. 1st that I was still waiting for my number 1. So, I think it is a pain for them to switch but can do so, and you can always wait to sign after you receive it.

 

[krmower]

My assumption is that it doesn't matter. The scholarship covers any school - doesn't matter which one you get....if you go to an expensive school they are not more/less likely to accept you than if you go to a state school. That being said, I do not know the process for how to switch it and hopefully USArmyHPSP will comment.

 

[USArmyHPSP]

While it seems like a simple question, like all things HPSP it can get complicated.

Once you give your L.O.A. to the recruiter there are several things that go on behind the scenes. Most importantly is that your recruiter will go to that school and have them sign a form that states you are enrolled there, along with your class start date, and the projected graduation date. No big deal right? Nope. It's a big deal.

Later on, when you change schools your recruiter has to get the new school to sign a new form and submit it through channels to the HPSP office. If the new school is across the country, or if your recruiter moves to a different job, or for some reason neither you or your recruiter notify the HPSP office (and in a timely manner) the thing that happens most often is that tuition doesn't get paid on time. So, tuition is a little late, as are the fees like the first year dental kit ($5-$9K). Some schools want their money yesterday and they don't charge the Army late fees or hit the Army's credit report. They hit up the student. Also. if the first school had a class start date of 15 Jul, and the new one has a start date of 15 Aug you now owe the government 30 days worth of stipend that you would not have been paid had the right paperwork been done. So, you lose 2/3 of your stipend until the debt is paid.

While we understand using the first school as a "place holder" for the scholarship, and we consider it to be a very bad idea. Counting on a recruiter to jump through hoops when he got "credit" for your scholarship six months in the past, not to mention his entire chain of command, is a stretch that normally will not work out in the student's favor. Let's face it. He is now working on the next person and usually feels no obligation to cover the same ground with you twice. By the way, when this happens, if you call the HPSP office, the only thing that they can say is to go back to the recruiter and have him fix the paperwork. The HPSP office can't do it because of procurement laws.

 

[flossiraptor863]

While it seems like a simple question, like all things HPSP it can get complicated.

Once you give your L.O.A. to the recruiter there are several things that go on behind the scenes. Most importantly is that your recruiter will go to that school and have them sign a form that states you are enrolled there, along with your class start date, and the projected graduation date. No big deal right? Nope. It's a big deal.

Later on, when you change schools your recruiter has to get the new school to sign a new form and submit it through channels to the HPSP office. If the new school is across the country, or if your recruiter moves to a different job, or for some reason neither you or your recruiter notify the HPSP office (and in a timely manner) the thing that happens most often is that tuition doesn't get paid on time. So, tuition is a little late, as are the fees like the first year dental kit ($5-$9K). Some schools want their money yesterday and they don't charge the Army late fees or hit the Army's credit report. They hit up the student. Also. if the first school had a class start date of 15 Jul, and the new one has a start date of 15 Aug you now owe the government 30 days worth of stipend that you would not have been paid had the right paperwork been done. So, you lose 2/3 of your stipend until the debt is paid.

While we understand using the first school as a "place holder" for the scholarship, and we consider it to be a very bad idea. Counting on a recruiter to jump through hoops when he got "credit" for your scholarship six months in the past, not to mention his entire chain of command, is a stretch that normally will not work out in the student's favor. Let's face it. He is now working on the next person and usually feels no obligation to cover the same ground with you twice. By the way, when this happens, if you call the HPSP office, the only thing that they can say is to go back to the recruiter and have him fix the paperwork. The HPSP office can't do it because of procurement laws.

This was an incredible help. Thank you so much for replying to this and explaining it to me and anyone else who has this question.

 

[Incis0r]

Thank you, @USArmyHPSP , for that helpful information.

In case anyone is wondering about the Navy, I had this exact same question for my Navy recruiter, and got a different response.

The Navy recruiter told me that they can easily swap out my "placeholder" acceptance with my desired acceptance any time prior to when my commissioning documents (The May of the year starting Dental School) would be drafted. The recruiter shared that they do this frequently for people who get an acceptance to UoP (which also involves converting a 4yr to a 3yr) and that they are ready and willing to do this.