Army ROTC SMP

SagenZolanski

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
20
can someone explain to me in detail what exactly SMP is? and who is eligible for it?
 
can someone explain to me in detail what exactly SMP is? and who is eligible for it?

You can Google Army SMP and find more info. Here's the core:

The SMP program enables students who possess a minimum of 30 credit hours and a minimum 2.0 CGPA, to be a member of the Army National Guard or Army Reserves and an ROTC cadet simultaneously. Contracted cadets hold the pay-grade of a Sergeant (E-5) in their Guard or Reserve unit and serve as Officer trainees under the supervision and guidance of a Commissioned Officer. Pay is approximately $274.00 per monthly drill (2010 pay rate; <2 years of service). Additionally, contracted SMP cadets receive the following ROTC subsistence allowance depending on academic year:

$350 - Sophomores $450 - Juniors $500 - Seniors

Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) can be completed in one summer and in time to start the Fall semester, depending on the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) chosen. Upon successful completion of BCT, students are eligible to receive Federal Tuition Assistance (TA) which is $4,500/Yr, and up to an additional $4,500 for State TA (if in or joining the Missouri ARNG) - - for a max of $9,000/Yr.
 
Last edited:
can someone explain to me in detail what exactly SMP is? and who is eligible for it?

Clarkson's blog is full of good information. SMP can be thru the Army Reserves or National Guard, the Guards will vary some options according to the state you join.

My son joined the Ohio Guard last June and currently a MSI who has attended drill every month and has many cadets at his school who are also SMP. His school works very closely with the Guard unit and treats SMP MSI's very much like they do their scholarship contracted cadets. They all receive the same equiment issue, dorm grant and living community opportunities. This option is not without some very serious issues; failure to contract with ROTC puts the guard contract in force, ie, you serve that contract without the option of changing your mind unlike the scholarship cadet who has a "try out" for a year first before entailing an obligation to the military, you have an obligation from the moment you raise your right hand and sign the contracts.

There are other SMP cadets on the forum, I hope they also post for you some of their experiences.
 
oh! also i read some were if you do SMP your sophomore year and you are contracted you don't have to attend BCT you'll jus to to AIT, does anyone know if this is true?
 
oh! also i read some were if you do SMP your sophomore year and you are contracted you don't have to attend BCT you'll jus to to AIT, does anyone know if this is true?

My roommate switched junior year and didn't have to go to basic. If you don't attend basic you definitely don't go to ATI. There are a lot of cadets who go to basic and sign their contract before they get AIT dates which nullifies their enlisted contract.
 
Last edited:
do you know if your roommate has a MOS or is ROTC considered the MOS since i know we'll be "non deployable" with our unit if they are mobilized
 
There are no MOSs with officers only branches. He was with a medical unit in preparation for being a reserve Medical Service officer. To actually obtain a secure slot in the reserves or NG you need to get a letter of acceptance your MSIV year from your unit. You have not attended BOLC ("AIT" for officers after commissioning) so you couldn't deploy even if you wanted to.
 
Actually, I have a few questions about SMP as well, if the collected doesn't mind entertaining me for a few moments.

A lot of the information I've seen seems to contradict itself, or be outdated. I've read that, if you were to go through SMP, along with ROTC, you can't be a recipient of an ROTC scholarship. Am I wrong, or can someone clarify for me?

Similarly, if you were to go through a GRFD scholarship, you'd be put into the Reserves, and you wouldn't be able to serve Active.

However, if you need money to get through college, would going through the SMP as a non-scholarship participant still get you aid money? And if so, how?

Lastly, does someone who goes through SMP need to fulfill the Basic Course of ROTC, or can you enroll directly into the Advanced Courses? And if you don't, do you need to take the LTC course at Fort Knox instead?

Sorry for all these probably inane questions.

Thank you very much!
 
Actually, I have a few questions about SMP as well, if the collected doesn't mind entertaining me for a few moments.

A lot of the information I've seen seems to contradict itself, or be outdated. I've read that, if you were to go through SMP, along with ROTC, you can't be a recipient of an ROTC scholarship. Am I wrong, or can someone clarify for me?

Similarly, if you were to go through a GRFD scholarship, you'd be put into the Reserves, and you wouldn't be able to serve Active.

However, if you need money to get through college, would going through the SMP as a non-scholarship participant still get you aid money? And if so, how?

Lastly, does someone who goes through SMP need to fulfill the Basic Course of ROTC, or can you enroll directly into the Advanced Courses? And if you don't, do you need to take the LTC course at Fort Knox instead?

Sorry for all these probably inane questions.

Thank you very much!

I am not a 100% on these answers, but I will ramble until someone corrects me.

1. If you accept GFRD money as in a full-scholarship (not drill pay) you are locked NG/Reserves
2. I believe you can do SMP while being on an active duty contract after your MS II year...when you branch you have no commitment to the reserve component
3 If you are not prior service (or at least BCT) with Junior status then you have to start from scratch. SMP does not exempt you from the basic course, so LTC or the standard MS I/II courses are needed to move on to MS III year.

If you want active go for the active scholarship. Getting a GFRD and trying to transfer active is pretty much impossible nowadays unless you serve at least a few years in the NG/reserves.
 
A lot of the information I've seen seems to contradict itself, or be outdated. I've read that, if you were to go through SMP, along with ROTC, you can't be a recipient of an ROTC scholarship. Am I wrong, or can someone clarify for me?

Similarly, if you were to go through a GRFD scholarship, you'd be put into the Reserves, and you wouldn't be able to serve Active.

However, if you need money to get through college, would going through the SMP as a non-scholarship participant still get you aid money? And if so, how?

My son is Reserves, ROTC, SMP. He was offered a 3 YR AD scholarship. When he accepted it, it was converted to a GRFD for 3 years. He will NOT be able to go AD. If he didn't accept the scholarship, he could get $4,500/year Tuition Assistance, GI Bill and Kicker, and ROTC stipend. He originally turned down the scholarship for more flexibility and the possibility of AD, but in the end took the scholarship. The $$ comes out pretty close either way you go.
 
My son is Reserves, ROTC, SMP. He was offered a 3 YR AD scholarship. When he accepted it, it was converted to a GRFD for 3 years. He will NOT be able to go AD. If he didn't accept the scholarship, he could get $4,500/year Tuition Assistance, GI Bill and Kicker, and ROTC stipend. He originally turned down the scholarship for more flexibility and the possibility of AD, but in the end took the scholarship. The $$ comes out pretty close either way you go.

did yur son join the reserves and then ROTC. or ROTC first? if he joined the reserves first did he still have to go to BCT?
 
did yur son join the reserves and then ROTC. or ROTC first? if he joined the reserves first did he still have to go to BCT?

He joined Reserves in his senior year of high school, went to BCT that summer, started college in the fall and joined ROTC. The next summer he did AIT (it's called Split Option when you do BCT and AIT separate.) We were told he didn't technically have to do BCT, but he wanted to. He also received full Army pay during both his summers of training, which was used to cover what the scholarship didn't. If you're not on scholarship and are relying on the GI Bill and Kicker, you aren't eligible for them until you complete AIT, so for his freshman year all he had was $4,500/tuition assistance and drill pay. You could do BCT/AIT together and start college in January to have the GI Bill/Kicker from the start.
 
did yur son join the reserves and then ROTC. or ROTC first? if he joined the reserves first did he still have to go to BCT?

My DS joined the Guard in June, after graduating high school, then joined ROTC when classes began in September this year. He will attend BCT this summer with no AIT training planned since he will contract Fall of his Sophomore/MSII year. He wants to maintain the ability to commission AD, so even if a scholarship were offered I doubt he'd accept it at this time. He receives drill pay, in state tuition(Ohio Guard, not all states offer this) and his school covers room for all scholarship and SMP cadets so he's able to afford this until he contracts and gets the book allowance and stipend next year. As bdamom pointed out, if you do not attend AIT your are not eligible for GI Bill or Kicker, if this extra incentive is important for making your budget work, plan to either miss a grading period or two summers of training to uphold your contract.
 
Also be aware that once you've completed BCT/AIT you are deployable unless you contract with ROTC. We were a little nervous between the end of Aug and the middle of October when the contracting actually took place.
 
Ok, thank you, everyone! Now that I know I can't skip the first two parts, does any one know if it's possible to take all these classes in an abbreviated time frame?

I've been asking the ROTC recruiter, but I haven't heard back from him in a few days. I think he got sick of my barrage of questions...
 
You may be able to or may not be. In my unit, most SMP guys who join the program do so skipping the 1st semester of MS1 year. It is at discretion of the PMS. If you have to take all the classes, it may be hard to take both at the same time.

Another thing my school does to catch up cadets who join ROTC as a sophmore is have them take the MS1 class 1st semester and then join the MS2 class second semester. That way they are back on track and can start MS3 class as a junior.

It all depends on how the instructors feel you know the material. If the ROO isn't responding, go up to the unit and talk to the MS1 instructor.
 
Thank you! Actually, he appears to be the MS1 instructor... I asked him if it would be possible to take the Basic Courses all together, but he hasn't responded yet. I emailed him, at least, but I think I asked him in a very confused manner.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top