Non-Prior Service Enlistment Bonus (NPSEB)

If you’ve never served in the military before, you may be eligible for the Non-Prior Service Enlistment Bonus (NPSEB). To qualify, you’ll need to enlist into a critical Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).

Eligibility:

Non-Prior Service enlistees must meet the following general eligibility criteria to qualify for NPSEB incentive options:

  • If you enlist while still in high school, you must complete your required courses and be awarded a high school diploma to meet the minimum eligibility for an NPSEB.
  • You must qualify as a Category I-IIIA enlistment, with a score of 50 or higher on your Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT).
  • You must ship on or before your original ship date, which must be within one year of your enlistment date. Split Option Enlistees must ship on or before both original ship dates.
  • You must complete Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and become Military Occupational Specialty Qualified (MOSQ) within two years.
  • You must be enlisted in a designated critical skill to either a Modified Table of Organization & Equipment (MTOE) Medical Table of Distribution and Allowance (TDA) unit. Your recruiter can explain these terms.

Amount:

  • Qualified applicants will receive $5,000-15,000.
  • You’ll receive 50 percent of the amount upon enlisting. An additional 25 percent will be paid on your three-year anniversary. The remaining 25 percent will be paid at the end of your contract.
  • You’ll be required to serve either eight years on active drilling status (8x0), or six years active drilling plus two years in the Individual Ready Reserve (6x2).
  • Available critical skill positions vary from state to state. Your recruiter can tell you which MOSs qualify as critical skills in your state.

No combination of incentives may exceed the $20,000 limit set by federal law.

Contact your recruiter with any questions.