Merit scholarship or ROTC?

mgguy

5-Year Member
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Oct 11, 2011
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After reading the posts the last few months about all the downsizing, I was/am wondering if DS will even get a offer in Jan. Now reading all the ways he could lose a ROTC scholarship, I have to question if it is worth it to give up the numerous merit scholarship offers DS has received to take a ROTC one. It appears to me that the merit scholarship for 4 years is a “safer” way to go money-wise and join the ROTC as a non-scholarship cadet. What is your guys advice?
 
Merit scholarships from a college that accept ROTC scholarships have no impact, merit is merit and it is not take ROTC or Merit. The college will accept both.

ROTC is traditionally called 4 and out the door. In other words after graduation they serve 4 yrs AD.

If they are accepting an ROTC scholarship for money to pay for college, as a parent I would have a deep discussion with them. How much is a 1 yr remote tour to Korea worth compared to a student loan and no remote?

Please understand AF/NROTC have that make or break for cadets/mids as sophs in college. I believe AROTC does not have that issue.
 
mgguy: The answer to your question probably has to do with the ultimate goal.

If a funded college education is the goal, then I think Merit scholarships carry less risk (typically a certain level GPA). If becoming a military officer is the goal, then a ROTC scholarship might be less risky (higher chance of getting a commission).

There is risk in both paths.
 
He wants to serve, if he were to be told to "go to Korea" his bags would be packed. The question was more, if he turns down a merit scholarship and accepts a ROTC scholarship to the same school but then somehow loses the ROTC scholarship-he would have no scholarship? It seems accepting the merit schoarship would be better or am I missing something?
 
He doesn't have to turn down merit if the school offers ROTC. Our DS has merit from the school and ROTC scholarship.

It is not one or the other, you can have both.
 
Oops! Cross posted with Pima!

He wants to serve, if he were to be told to "go to Korea" his bags would be packed. The question was more, if he turns down a merit scholarship and accepts a ROTC scholarship to the same school but then somehow loses the ROTC scholarship-he would have no scholarship? It seems accepting the merit scholarship would be better or am I missing something?

Is there some reason that both cannot be accepted, even though perhaps only one can be applied at any given time? (maybe each covers only tuition and since tuition is paid for....?) If so, then it would seem that the other one would be available to fall back on.

BTW, if he is focused on his academics and ROTC then I wouldn't expect him to lose his scholarship. The folks I know who didn't SFT were not doing well academically or physically. (Not to say there aren't those who try like hell but can't make the grade... but I want to believe they're few are far between).

In any case there is NO magic to accepting the ROTC scholarship in terms of commisioning via ROTC.

There is no doubt in my mind that my freshman DS will commision with or without a scholarship, unless something extremely untoward happens to him. He's clearly determined and I've never seen him work so hard. My only concern is that he has established such a high base/expectation level for himself I sometimes wonder if he can keep it up... but that's just a Dad's worrying. He'll be fine.
 
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Merit v. ROTC

Check with the specific school as to what its policy is. In Pima's case you can receive Merit and ROTC scholarships both but in my family's case you can't.

Unless there is a reason otherwise, you may want to wait until the last possible minute to reject the merit scholarship. Even if you are offered the ROTC scholarship, it is possible your offspring may get injured, get DQ'd by DODMERB or fail a fitness test.
 
thanks all, I never thought about being able to accept both. I will have to check on that. DS has been passed by DODMERB for WP but still worried about injuries (none yet but plays 3 sports). Keeping the merit and maybe (if gets one) using ROTC for room and board might be good idea.
 
Absolutely check with your DS's school Financial Aid office, ask if there is someone who "specializes" in military scholarships/veterans/GI Bill issues, DS's school has two people who are specifically for these types of questions.

DS held onto 2 additional merit scholarships until mid June last summer, waiting for the final decision on even which school he would attend. Yes, he felt bad holding up the other two schools and we did forfeit the deposits for housing, but with AROTC and then a possible brigade offer in the running, we really had to wait it out:rolleyes:. Unfortunately, he was denied an AROTC offer, but joined the National Guard for a SMP slot. His school allows him his merit and National Guard tuition scholarships to both apply to his account plus the school pays housing for SMP and contracted cadets so he actually receives a refund each grading period after deducting his meal plan. He's using these funds to cover books and spending until he contracts next fall.

Keep all the options you can open for as long as you can. It's good to hear your DS is already DoDMERB qualified for WP so that won't tie you up. Knowing what I know now about ROTC, budget cuts etc... if I had to pick one or the other, go with the merit money -- GPA typically has to be a 3-3.5 depending on the school and level of funding provided. ROTC will still commission him without the scholarship, just make sure he understands that he must continue to WOW the cadre so he's offered a contract after sophomore year(you cannot continue to take AROTC courses after that without a contract). That is the major draw back and why DS choose to go the SMP route rather than just wait it out, SMP's are offered contract in fall of sophomore year(as it stands now....)

If he's injured and becomes medically un-qualify-able for commission, the merit money will still allow him to get the great education with less loans(perhaps none:thumb:) and still put him in a better place than most of his peers on graduation day:biggrin: The ride is far from over - January is only the second board...don't forget about March:eek:
 
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