It is hardly common knowledge among high school students and their parents that the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) offer scholarships and even stipends to help them focus not on graduating from high school, but on graduating from college. You may already have graduated high school and are in college. The Army ROTC scholarship may still be available to you if you qualify. Scholarships are based on a student’s merits and GPA, not financial need.
The Army ROTC scholarship offer two, three and four year options depending on how many years elapse before attaining a degree. There are full tuition scholarships offered or there is an option for room and board in lieu of tuition for the qualified student plus supplemental allowances for books and fees.
The Army ROTC scholarship will provide living expenses monthly for each school year. The amount of the stipend depends on the level achieved in the Army ROTC curriculum.
Curriculum and Colleges for the Army ROTC Scholarship
The Army ROTC scholarship program includes courses in leadership development, military skills and supervisory training. These courses include both classroom and field study and are supplemental to the normal academic schedule for all college students.
The leadership program has four levels of courses. Which ones you take depend on when you enroll in the Army ROTC scholarship. These classes will benefit you and you will draw on them for the rest of your business and personal life whether in the Army or as a civilian. These classes are:
- Army ROTC Basic
- Army ROTC Advanced
- Leadership Training
- Leadership Development and Assessment
There are some fine military colleges for those with an interest in pursuing a career in the Army. Those who are differently inclined can find ROTC programs and earn scholarships in so many institutions of higher learning that to name them would be beyond the scope of this article. For students interested in an Army career, the following colleges and universities come highly recommended and have earned the designation of Senior Military College (SMC).
- North Georgia College and State University, Dahlonega, Georgia
- Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
- Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas
- The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina
- Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
An unusual and very exciting opportunity exists for Junior College students desirous of becoming commissioned officers in two years instead of four through the early commissioning program. The students partaking in this Junior College curriculum must still matriculate to a four year institution and earn a Bachelor’s degree before serving as regular Army officers. The program is a major financial incentive for students receiving early commissions and serve as officers while continuing to attend college. They will also gain service time towards promotions and retirements through this program. The five foremost Junior Colleges offering this plan are:
- Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, Missouri
- Valley Forge Military Academy, Wayne, Pennsylvania
- Marion Military Institute, Marion, Alabama
- New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico
- Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Georgia
If you are unsure about where you want to go and what you want to do in your life, you might want to consider a career in the United States Army and make use of their excellent scholarship as well as many other benefits. It is certainly worth your while to look into.