I do not really have the money to pay for school unless I take out student loans(and I am very hesitant to do this) because I already have one outstanding loan that is about 1,000 dollars right now.
Seriously?
I know you may be young and $1k seems like crazy debt, but it's really nothing. You actually have several options here, and it's a shame that none of the recruiters are considering your long term interests when speaking to you. However, we don't know how you approached the situation. Anywhoo:
1) Enlisting for the purpose of using the GI bill to become an officer is out of the question. After 6 years of AD nuke, you will most likely be 29 years old, which is the age limit with a prior enlisted waiver... and you haven't started college yet. Your only hope would be getting picked up for STA-21 while enlisted, but that program is
extremely competitive. At the very least, I wouldn't hang my long term career hopes on it, particularly if your SAT scores aren't so hot. Despite what any recruiter might say, you are not guaranteed a commissioning slot from the enlisted nuke pipeline... far from it. So if you choose to enlist, do it because you want to be a nuke because that's likely the path you'll stay in. You can use the GI bill after your first commitment and go on to another fruitful career after getting a degree, or you can reenlist and work your way toward fouled anchors and being a deckplate leader. Down the line (meaning 10+ years of service) you can consider applying for LDO or warrant if that's your thing, too. Unfortunately, URL officer programs will not be in the cards for you, though.
2) You should be searching google for any and all sorts of scholarships out there. There is a ton of money that is there for the taking that people don't take advantage of. You should also be researching state/community colleges that usually offer reduced tuition to in-state residents. When it comes to most URL commissioning programs, any degree + good grades with leadership roles in jobs and extra-curricular activities can get you there.
2) You can contact an NROTC recruiter and seek options there, including scholarship. Downside: scholarships are only given to technical degrees. However, NROTC students are not guaranteed a designator, so you are at the whims of the needs of the Navy. Having said that, if you want sub nuke and have the grades you'll probably get it... it's not a very popular choice and sometimes people are voluntold to go subs under the statement that NROTC contracts implicitly volunteer you for sub duty. Also, if cost is a concern you might run into issues with NROTC not being at the school you wish to attend.
3) You can take loans for two years of college, get A's, and then apply for NUPOC. You will make enough money with E-6 pay + BAH during your next two years to afford college and put some toward paying off loans (you can also work a part-time job if you still want to), and the 11k you'll get for signing a contract will put a nice dent in your loans from the first two years. You can also use the USAA commissioning loan, which is $25k at a low interest rate (4% right now I think) to effectively consolidate any high-interest loans (payment for the USAA loan is ~600/mo, affordable as a single Ensign). That pretty much gives you $36k to work with. You should definitely be looking at in-state public schools in order to minimize tuition costs if loans are freaking you out. Bear in mind that you have to commission by 27, so you're looking at having to complete school in 3 1/2 years if you enroll this fall. I honestly think NUPOC is one of the best programs in the Navy for commissioning...the reason it beats NROTC is because the money is yours to spend however you like, and if you get some scholarship money as suggested above then you'll be set.
4) I think USNA is out of the question due to your age.
The downside to all the above is that you need a backup plan in case you become medically disqualified, either due to injury or because you have some condition that you didn't know you have (partially colorblind, for example).
So decide if you want to be an enlisted nuke or an officer, and then go that route. You obviously have several options available to you. Do what you need to do to achieve that goal, and if taking out some loans is going to do that then do it. Unfortunately, your age means that you most likely can't have both. Ideally, the recruiters would have had the above conversation with you, but the enlisted one probably just wants to meet his quota and the OCS one is probably at goal and just perceived you as a clueless, non-eligible applicant who wasn't worth her time (which you kinda were).
