ROTC Scholarships

An Expert Guide to Collegiate ROTC Programs

Starting with the National Defense Act of 1916, the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) continues to offer quality leadership training – in addition to helping finance college educations – in return for serving a commitment of time in a branch of the United States Armed Forces. ROTC can pave the way for students to earn a college degree who otherwise would be unable to afford one. In this guide, we cover the various types of ROTC programs available, merit-based scholarships associated with each type of program, and the resulting service obligation that starts upon college graduation.

Do you know that ROTC cadets can get full scholarships plus a monthly living stipend? Two-, three- and four-year scholarships are available in many of the programs. The monthly living stipend varies by type of ROTC and according to the number of years in the program. For example, the yearly living stipend from the Air Force ROTC begins at $300/month during the first year, and increases yearly to $500/month at year four.

ROTC Programs:
Goals, Options and Service Commitments

ROTC is a college-based program that trains students to become commissioned officers in the various branches of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC "officially" started in 1916, it traces its roots back even further. Before ROTC was officially brought under one federally-controlled entity in 1916, other colleges began to add military training to their curriculum as a result of the Morrill Act of 1862, when land-grant colleges were first established. Colleges established under the act were required to include military tactics in their curriculum. The mission of the ROTC today remains the same as it was upon the program's inception: training students to become commissioned officers.

In 1819, Captain Alden Partridge, a former West Point Academy instructor, introduced the idea of training "citizen soldiers" at his American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy, later renamed Norwich University. At that time, it was the only civilian educational institution teaching military tactics.

Beyond training qualified commissioned officers for all U.S. Armed Forces branches, there exist other goals beneath that singular umbrella. Goals for:

• Individual Goals:
  Two major goals for individuals that graduate from an ROTC program are 1) to come out of college debt-free, and 2) to have a guaranteed job upon graduation, for the duration of their service obligation and beyond should they decide to stay in. If not, they are well positioned to enter the civilian work force in a high level leadership or management position.
• Military Organization Goal:
  ROTC provides military organizations with another stream of acquiring trained commissioned officers beside those graduating from one of the military academies, or through direct commissioning. In 2010, ROTC provided 38.5 percent of the newly commissioned officers in the U.S. Army; 1.8 percent in the Marine Corps (from Navy ROTC); 16.7 percent in the Navy; and 38.1 percent in the Air Force.
• National Goals:
  ROTC helps maintain a steady flow of commissioned officers to both the active duty units and selected reserve, which consists of the reserves of all the military branches (except the Coast Guard) and the National Guard. By having all newly commissioned officers trained to an equal standard, flexibility and diversity is achieved between the active duty and selected reserve units as they deploy and serve alongside one another.

Beyond Financial Aid: Benefits of ROTC

While the financial aid from an ROTC program is one of the main reasons people join, students will gain other benefits as well.

Levels of ROTC Program Enrollment

As there are over 1,100 schools offering ROTC, figuring out which branch and program to join can be difficult. Additionally, within each branch itself exist three different classifications that a cadet will fall into:

• Participant Taking an entry-level (100 or 200) ROTC class. May or may not be under a scholarship.
• Enrolled Interested in continuing the ROTC program by enrolling in the Cadet Command Information Management System (CCIMS).
• Contracted Accepted a scholarship and are under a service obligation to commission and serve once finished with school.

Students graduating from a ROTC program, or taking $3,500 or more in ROTC scholarship money during their last year in a ROTC program, will not earn Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility for up to four years while on active duty. This can affect the service member's plans if s/he was considering transferring GI Bill benefits to a spouse or dependent child, or planning to attend graduate school on the GI Bill after serving their obligation.

Once the four years are served, however, Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility starts with full eligibility attained after serving another three years. However, while serving, ROTC graduates can still use Tuition Assistance. Prospective students should contact the Military Science branch at a school offering the type of ROTC you are interested in for more information about their program, service obligations and the scholarships available.

Serve to Earn:
Financial Aid and Service Commitments

Each branch of the ROTC has its own set of scholarships, aid offered and service required in return for the money. As the level of financial aid increases, so too does the time a student must commit to spend in the military in order to effectively "pay back" this help. Additional, branch-specific scholarships are available to students upon enrollment. Below, discover scholarships and aid offered through each branch's ROTC program, and what level of service obligation is required to receive it.

Army

Navy

Air Force

ROTC Scholarship Program Spotlight:

The Navy Nurse Option

A great option for ROTC students looking to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), midshipmen (as they are referred to) are required to complete the following courses:

• Introduction to Naval Science
• Seapower and Maritime Affairs
• Leadership and Management I and II

They must also participate in weekly drill instruction periods and attend two summer training periods, each four weeks in length.

Eligibility Requirements

Most of the requirements for the Navy Nurse Option are similar to other Navy ROTC applicants, including:

• A U.S. citizen
• At least 17 years old by September 1 of the college start year
• Not will have reached 27th birthday by June 30 of the year of their anticipated graduation and commissioning
• Possess a high school diploma or equivalency
• Meet Navy standard physical and medical requirements
• Have been approved for admission to a university having both Navy ROTC affiliation and offering a state or National League of Nursing (NLN) approved bachelor's degree in nursing (Nurse Option specific)
• Have at least an SAT score of 530 in Critical Reading and 520 in Math or ACT scores of 22 in English and 22 in Math (Nurse Option specific)

Application Process

The Navy Nurse Option application is extensive and can take several hours to complete. At the beginning of the application process a checklist of all required information is provided. In addition to the initial online application, certain supplemental forms are also required, such as:

• Drug Statement
• Federal Financial Aid Debarment and Suspension
• Nurses Certification and Statement of Understanding
• Applicant Fitness Assessment Test Agreement

As part of the application process, the student will be asked to choose five colleges or universities. Each school listed must have a NAVY ROTC program or affiliation and offer a state or NLN approved bachelor's degree in nursing. School choices do not necessarily have to be in the student's home state. If offered a scholarship, the applicant must major in a nursing degree program leading to a BSN degree.

Benefits

As a nurse midshipman, the Navy will pay all tuition costs, lab fees and provide a textbook voucher worth $250 per semester or $167 per quarter. In addition, a monthly subsistence pays at the following rates:

• $250: Freshman year
• $300: Sophomore year
• $350: Junior year
• $400: Senior year

Service Commitments

Upon commissioning, midshipmen incur an eight-year service commitment, as do all members entering the military today. However, the number of years that must be served on active duty vary according to the number of months of stipend received while going through nursing school. If you received one to 12 months of stipend, then you must serve four years on active duty; if you received 13 months or more of stipend, then your active duty service obligation is for five years. The remainder of your eight-year service commitment may be spent in a reserve status.

After ROTC: 10 Top Career Paths & Options

Once ROTC programs – and any active duty requirements – have been completed, members should find themselves prepared to excel in a variety of career paths, dependent on the courses they took while enrolled. Regardless of the path they end up taking, the common denominator for all graduates is the foundation of leadership and confidence that ROTC programs work to instill in all their cadets. These qualities, along with any specialized training received during their time in ROTC and the military, make those transitioning from a military to civilian career particularly well suited to a number of professional roles.

ROTC

Timeline of an ROTC Program

Interview

MSG Berube

MSG Berube is originally from Cambridge, MA. He joined the Army in 1993 as a 19D Cavalry Scout. His assignments include FT Polk, Germany, FT Hood, Schofield Barracks Hawaii, ACRC at Camp Shelby, MS and currently the University of Minnesota. His deployments include Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. MSG Berube comes to the program recently from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii where he served as a 1SG in 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.

What is your mission statement?

The Gopher Battalion commissions adaptive and agile officers into the United States Army, Army Reserve and National Guard through a holistic training and education program, focused on retention and a quality recruiting process. We strive to meet that mission by offering a classroom curriculum that focuses on developing college students into leaders who are adaptive, agile and problem solvers.

What are some key benefits you see in your program?

Leadership labs give our cadets the opportunity to apply the skills learned in a tactical setting. While earning a degree in the major of their choice, cadets receive leadership training in judgment, decision-making, values, ethics, communications, critical thinking, management and analysis. We strive to impart all cadets with a sense of self-motivation, discipline, initiative, service, patriotism and integrity.

Why someone should join an ROTC program in general and specifically your program?

Army ROTC selects, educates, trains and commissions college students to be officers and leaders of character in the Total Army; the ROTC program instills the values of citizenship, national and community service, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. In regard to our program, as a host school centrally located in Minneapolis, we are surrounded by 12 affiliate schools, making it is an easy commute to our ROTC program. Our program has always placed within the top 10 percent of all the Army ROTC programs.

What types of aid does your specific program offer?

• National Army ROTC four-year scholarships while in high school
• Campus-Based Scholarship awarded while earning a degree of choice as a freshman, sophomore or junior at the University of Minnesota.
• Guaranteed Reserve Force Duty (GRFD) Scholarships designed for people who have prior military service and would like to commission into either the Army National Guard or Army Reserve.
• Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) allows participation in ROTC while at the same time enlisted in the Army National Guard (NG) or US Army Reserve (USAR).
• Two U of M Incentive Scholarships awarded to annually by the Professor of Military Science to students who best supported the battalion's recruiting and retention efforts.
• Green-to-Gold Scholarship Option for enlisted soldiers who are considering leaving active duty to attend college and then return as commissioned officers. They receive full tuition or room and board, flat rate book payment and a monthly stipend.

Army ROTC plays a great role in the shaping of tomorrows officers and leaders.

Thinking About Joining?
6 Things Every Recruit Should Ask Themselves

Besides meeting the admission requirements, there are other considerations to think about as far as if ROTC is the correct choice, in line with your future educational and career goals. Six things every prospective recruit should consider before joining are:

1. Do you want a college education, but are unable to afford it?

Many non-ROTC students walk across the stage at graduation with a diploma in one hand and a student loan debt of $20,000 or more in the other. If your family can't afford to pay your way through college and you don't want to start your working career deep in debt, ROTC can be a viable financial option.

2. Are you willing to trade military service in exchange for a free education?

Depending on the ROTC program chosen, you'll be required to serve anywhere from three to 12 years (or more in the case of doctors), some of which will be spent in active duty. However, many ROTC graduates decide to stay in for the long haul, and pursue a military career. Others get out after completing their ROTC obligation and get into the Reserves or National Guard to finish out their eight-year military obligation.

3. Do you have a desire to serve your country?

If you already plan on enlisting, consider doing so as a commissioned officer, where you can receive higher pay, benefits, training and prestige.

4. Do you like exercising early in the morning?

Many physical training sessions start between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. The Army recruiting ad that stated "we do more before 9 in the morning than most people do all day" is as true in the ROTC as it is in the ad.

5. Do you have a natural tendency to lead people?

While leadership is a learned skill, it is easier to master if you have a natural inclination toward leading people instead of following. Examples would be class president, quarterback of the football team, head of the debate team, etc.

6. Can you follow orders?

While having inherent leadership skills are important, everyone reports to someone, so you must be able to follow as well. Once commissioned and serving, failing to follow instructions down to the last detail can get a fellow service member or subordinate under your command hurt or killed.

Is ROTC right for you? Only you can make that decision. The information in this guide should help you come to the right answer. However, if you are looking for a way to get an education without incurring a mountain of student load debt, then ROTC could be a viable option. Not only will you get your education paid for, but you will receive the best leadership training offered anywhere – bar none. Once commissioned as an officer, you'll have numerous opportunities to get practical experience by putting your leadership training to use leading troops. Post-service, you can exit the military armed with the credentials necessary to get high-level leadership or management jobs in many of the top companies in America today.

Meet the Experts

Ron Knees

Ron retired with 36 years of military service. His assignment as Supervisor of Military Personnel Services (including the Education Benefits Section) provided him with a wealth of knowledge, training and experience working with the GI Bills, scholarships, grants and loans for post-secondary education. His last assignment was the 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division Command Sergeant Major/E-9.