Last Updated on October 14, 2024
Are you looking for financial assistance for your medical and dental training? Look no further, the Navy has you covered!
The Navy offers a Financial Assistance Program (FAP) to help provide support for Medical Corps and Dental Corps Officers in their pursuit of specialized professional training.
This program provides funding and other resources to ensure that Medical and Dental corps officers are able to receive the best training, so they can serve their country with distinction.
In this guide, we will discuss the details of this program, including who is eligible and what benefits it offers during the Fiscal Year 2025.
Medical Corps Financial Assistance Program
This Navy Medical Corps Financial Assistance Program (FAP) provides physicians with the option to take part in residency and fellowship opportunities with the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps on inactive duty (designator 2105) while receiving financial assistance for eventual active duty in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps (MC).
Program Requirements
| Citizenship | Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. |
| Age | Applicants must be commissioned before reaching the age of 42. Waiver requests will be evaluated individually. |
| Education | Physician (Doctor of Medicine): Must graduate from a medical school in the U.S. or Puerto Rico approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical Association and licensed to practice medicine or surgery in a State, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the U.S. or the District of Columbia. Physician (Doctor of Osteopathy): Must graduate from a college of osteopathy approved bythe American Osteopathic Association and be licensed to practice medicine, surgery, orosteopathy in a State, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the U.S. or the District of Columbia. |
| Physical/Medical | Per DoD Instruction 6130.03, Chapter 15 of the Manual of the Medical Department and Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services should be followed. |
| Professional Experience | To be eligible, applicants must either be accepted or already participating in a Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. The program must be approved by either the American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association, resulting in certification in specialties recognized by the Secretary of the Navy. You must be qualified and allowed to provide medical care in the GME institution where you are based. Medical professionals must have the necessary licensing to provide services in the state or district where their training took place. |
| Training | Officers enrolled in the FAP will complete 14 days of active duty training per year, receiving full pay and allowances for their appointed grade. The location will be decided by the program sponsor. |
| Waivers | The Navy may grant a waiver to exceptional applicants who do not meet the age requirement, but have a record of achievement or skills needed for the position. When assessing an age waiver request, priority will be given to specialties with staffing shortages or a history of unmet recruitment targets. Applicants between the ages of 42 and 57 may apply for a waiver. |
Applicant Sources
Qualified civilians may apply for this program.
All enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces, whether Active Duty or Reserve, may apply provided they receive authorization for a conditional release. Prior Navy personnel must provide a copy of their performance summary record and the last three evaluations.
Commissioned officers of any branch of the armed forces who are not eligible for inter-service transfer or superseding appointment may submit an application upon approval of their service component’s conditional release (other services) or contingent release (USN/USNR).
Upon Commissioning
Selected individuals will take part in orientation training at the Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Military Health Professionals Officers will receive entry grade credit according to Accession and Retention Policies, Programs, and Incentives prior to being commissioned.
The Inter-Service Transfer policy for Commission Officers, DoD Instruction 1300.04, defines the entry grade and date rank for medical officers transferring from other uniform services to the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.
Selected individuals will be appointed to the Medical Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve with a designator of 2105.
Upon appointment, members will be assigned to the Navy Medicine Accessions Department and Total Force Directorate (BUMEDIT (MI)) for administrative purposes and will subsequently be appointed by the commanding officer of the nearest applicable naval unit for active duty training.
Service Obligation
An eight-year minimum service obligation is required. Any remaining portion of the 8-year Military Service Obligation (MSO) will be completed as a member of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).
The program sponsor may choose to allow an IRR obligation to be served in the Selected Reserve. Residual IRR obligations will be paid together with newly incurred IRR obligations.
The Active Duty Obligation (ADO) will follow DoD Instruction 6000.13. Each FAP participant incurs an ADO of a minimum of two years or one-half year for each half year or portion of FAP sponsorship, whichever is greater.
Unless otherwise specified, a participant cannot serve any portion of the military obligation incurred by participation in the Armed Forces (AF) health professions scholarship program (HPSP) or FAP concurrently with any other military obligation.
This program’s ADO is in addition to any other unfulfilled active duty obligation.
Completion of this program will cause additional active-service obligations beyond existing requirements.
Navy MC officers who are deferring for graduate training, either prior to or during fulfilling their initial active-duty obligation because of AFHPSP participation, will incur an additional active-duty obligation for FAP participation.
Special Notes
Participation in FAP does not count towards retirement or pay (longevity).
Time spent in residency training will not be included when calculating the 8-year MSO.
FAP participants may be considered for promotion by inactive reserve MC selection boards.
Participants of the program are required to agree to a contract, which includes this clause:
“I agree to serve any active duty obligation incurred or to reimburse the government for all costs incurred as a result of participation in the program if I fail to complete my obligation under this contract because of action not initiated by the government. This does not relieve me from any obligation to reimburse the government should the action initiated by the government be the result of my own misconduct. The Secretary of the Navy may waive this requirement i f it is determined to be in the best interests of the government.”
Compensation
Each member is eligible for annual funding from ASD(HA), to be divided accordingly depending on the duration of their participation.
Members will be eligible to receive a monthly stipend each month they are in the program, at the rate determined annually by the ASD (HA) for members of the AFHPSP, unless they are on active duty for training.
Stipend payments will begin on the latest date of execution of the oath of office, the date of execution of the FAP contract, or the date of commencement of specialized training.
Accepting the stipend and grant does not mean the member cannot receive payment from the civilian training institution.
FAP participants will be assigned to the Navy IRR force.
Payment is approved for educational expenses of the member. Payments are restricted to educational expenses that are typically encountered by physicians taking the same specialized training at the same institution and who are not members of the FAP.
Dental Corps Financial Assistance Program
This Navy Dental Corps Financial Assistance Program (FAP) provides dentists with the option to take part in residency opportunities with the U.S. Navy Reserve Dental Corps on inactive duty (designator 2205) while receiving financial assistance for eventual active duty in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps (DC).
Program Requirements
| Citizenship | Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. |
| Age | Applicants must be commissioned before reaching the age of 42. Waiver requests will be evaluated individually. |
| Education | Applicants must graduate from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association. |
| Physical/Medical | Per DoD Instruction 6130.03, Chapter 15 of the Manual of the Medical Department and Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services should be followed. |
| Professional Experience | To be eligible, you must have acceptance or enrollment in an American Dental Association-approved graduate dental education program. The program must lead to a certification in the specialties designated each year by the Secretary of the Navy. Applicants must be in good standing and allowed to provide dental care in the graduate institution to which they are attending. Medical professionals must have the necessary licensing to provide services in the state or district where their training took place. |
| Training | Officers enrolled in the FAP shall serve on Active Duty for training, receiving full pay and allowances in their appointed grade for a period of 14 days annually at a location designated by the program sponsor. |
| Waivers | The Navy may grant a waiver to exceptional applicants who do not meet the age requirement but have a record of achievement or proven skills needed for the position. When assessing an age waiver request, priority will be given to specialties with staffing shortages or a history of unmet recruitment targets. Waiver requests must be formally justified and routed to the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC). |
Applicant Sources
Qualified civilians may apply for this program.
All enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces, whether Active Duty or Reserve, may apply provided they receive authorization for a conditional release. Prior Navy personnel must provide a copy of their performance summary record and the last three evaluations.
Commissioned officers of any branch of the armed forces who are not eligible for inter-service transfer or superseding appointment may submit an application upon approval of their service component’s conditional release (other services) or contingent release (USN/USNR).
Upon Commissioning
Selected individuals will take part in orientation training at the Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Dental Corps Officers will receive entry grade credit according to Appointment of Regular and Reserve Officers in the Dental Corps of the United States Navy prior to being commissioned.
The Inter-Service Transfer policy for Commission Officers, DoD Instruction 1300.04, defines the entry grade and date rank for dental officers transferring from other uniform services to the U.S. Navy Dental Corps.
Selected individuals will be appointed to the Dental Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve with a designator of 2105.
Upon appointment, members will be assigned to the Navy Medicine Accessions Department and Total Force Directorate (BUMED (M1)) for administrative purposes and will subsequently be appointed by the commanding officer of the nearest applicable naval unit for active duty training.
Service Obligation
The Minimum Service Obligation (MSO) will be eight years, with any unfulfilled portion served in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) or Selected Reserve.
Participants must fulfill a minimum Active Duty Requirement (ADO) of two years for the first year, or a portion of it, in the program.
For participation longer than one year, there is an additional requirement of one-half year of active service for each additional half year or portion thereof of FAP sponsorship.
Special Notes
Participation in FAP does not count towards retirement or pay (longevity).
Time spent in residency training will not be included when calculating the 8-year MSO.
FAP participants may be considered for promotion by inactive reserve DC selection boards.
Participants of the program are required to agree to a contract, which includes this clause.
“I agree to serve any active duty obligation incurred or to reimburse the government for all costs incurred as a result of participation in the program if I fail to complete my obligation under this contract because of action not initiated by the government. This does not relieve me from any obligation to reimburse the government should the action initiated by the government be the result of my own misconduct. The Secretary of the Navy may waive this requirement if it is determined to be in the best interests of the government.”
Compensation
Members will be eligible to receive a monthly stipend at a rate established annually by the ASD (HA) for members of the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (AFHPSP) for each month they are in the program, except during periods of active duty for training.
Stipend payments will commence based on the latest of the following: the date of execution of the oath of office, the date of execution of the FAP contract, or the date of commencement of specialized training.
