NROTC paying for extra degree time?

Dial the gate

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I think I remember this topic being touched on, but have a couple more questions now that it is staring at us...DS just finished a "tour" of his NROTC battallion and when talking with an officer there, he was told that it is taking 4.5-5 years to complete a nuclear engineering degree (and a few others), but that they would extend his scholarship to pay for the extra time...has anyone else heard this recently? How does it affect the training and status within the battallion if you have an extra year?
 
I think I remember this topic being touched on, but have a couple more questions now that it is staring at us...DS just finished a "tour" of his NROTC battallion and when talking with an officer there, he was told that it is taking 4.5-5 years to complete a nuclear engineering degree (and a few others), but that they would extend his scholarship to pay for the extra time...has anyone else heard this recently? How does it affect the training and status within the battallion if you have an extra year?

In my son's unit, folks who are "beyond" their senior year still train with the battalion. They tend to take "large" leadership roles that are sort of in the background (if that makes sense). For example, a midshipman who took 4.5 years to graduate, and will do so in September, is serving as the Battalion Master Chief. He runs the weekly staff meetings. As a SEAL selectee, he also runs their Special Warfare club, which he also ran last year. However, he is now really focused on training his replacements (current juniors). That is, they run the club and he runs them (so to speak). They do not take key leadership slots from seniors. I imagine this varies from battalion to battalion, but I also have no doubt they continue with training just as before and participate in all battalion events.
 
At my school, it is well known that the engineering program takes anywhere from a semester to a year longer to complete depending on how many credits you come in with. The Navy unit seems to plan for this happening almost every year and the "super" seniors generally seem to inherit the top roles in their unit. Even those that do not take a top position still actively train and interact with the unit.

Disclaimer: I am in the AROTC program and we treat super seniors much different because they are generally much more rare. As such, I get to have a much easier last semester than my NROTC counterparts who are working their butt off as their BC and CMC.:yllol:
 
Maybe I am missing a beat here, but I took their question differently.

Dial the gate said:
they would extend his scholarship to pay for the extra time...has anyone else heard this recently?

I thought they were asking if the scholarship would be extended to pay for 4.5/5 yrs due to the major, not if they can stay 1 more yr to complete their degree if the college degree takes 4.5/5 yrs, or progression within the unit.

In AFROTC, they can stay and the AF expects them to complete it in 5 yrs as an HSSP recipient if that is the college program, but they will only pay for 4 yrs. The 5th yr is on your dime. They will not pay that last yr.

Caveat, many colleges (look at the sticky) give financial assistance for ROTC students, it may be the college itself that will extend the scholarship for a ROTC scholarship student.
 
Sorry for being unclear...my question was really 2 parts; wondering if anyone is familiar with NROTC extending the scholarship for degree completion (which is what he was told, but very vaguely); and how the extra semester or year affects their status in the battalion and what they do while still there.

Thank you for the responses! Sounds like they get some great leadersip opportunites while finishing off that last year.
 
in AROTC they do offer an extra semester scholarship for selected majors (engineering) owing to the fact that these majors typically take an extra semester to complete and (I assume) the majors are desirable to the Army. I suppose the alternative is to have an engineering major attempt a heavier course load to accomplish the degree within 4 years, do poorly and then dropping ROTC to concentrate on the major.
 
Sorry. I assumed because your DS was told they can extend the scholarship that it wasn't part of the question. I definitely know of NROTC guys whose scholarship got extended. I can't say they all do or what all the requirements and hurdles are.

They do get some good leadership roles but I don't think they get them at the expense of "regular" seniors. I assume the logic is that they already had their shot at CO, XO, etc. and the regular seniors need their chance... they're going to the fleet too, after all. They seem to get the jobs where their experience, contributed in the "background", can be of help. The "foreground" jobs, like XO, CO, Company CO, etc. still go to the seniors. At least at my son's unit this seems to be the case, and I think it's the right way to go. I assume their brains are heavily "picked" by the seniors, when needed, in any case
 
in AROTC they do offer an extra semester scholarship for selected majors (engineering) owing to the fact that these majors typically take an extra semester to complete and (I assume) the majors are desirable to the Army. I suppose the alternative is to have an engineering major attempt a heavier course load to accomplish the degree within 4 years, do poorly and then dropping ROTC to concentrate on the major.

The Army will offer extra semesters to any major as long as they can prove its worth it and they deserve it. An engineering major is not guaranteed the extra semesters just because their major even though it does help. I took the extra semester the Army offered me to finish my degree. That being said, I did have to sign a 6 month ADSO, but I felt it was worth it to finish my degree.

And kinnem, that philosophy of offering the "prime" leadership positions to the seniors and having the super seniors advise is the way my BN does it, but it does not seem to be the way the Navy unit at my school does it as my peers are in charge over there. I agree with you, however, that policies are likely to vary unit by unit.
 
The Army will offer extra semesters to any major as long as they can prove its worth it and they deserve it. An engineering major is not guaranteed the extra semesters just because their major even though it does help. I took the extra semester the Army offered me to finish my degree. That being said, I did have to sign a 6 month ADSO, but I felt it was worth it to finish my degree.

And kinnem, that philosophy of offering the "prime" leadership positions to the seniors and having the super seniors advise is the way my BN does it, but it does not seem to be the way the Navy unit at my school does it as my peers are in charge over there. I agree with you, however, that policies are likely to vary unit by unit.

Hmmmm. That's interesting. Thanks for letting me know. Of course now I'll be up all night wondering what the hell their rationale is for that!!!! :confused: :rolleyes:
 
Kinnem, I would believe its because that particular unit has a number of super seniors due to the larger number of STEM type majors in the Navy and they plan their leadership around that. I can't tell you for sure but Im sure they will get those mids who need leadership time their chance in the spotlight. But it is the Navy, who knows why they do what they do:thumb:
 
Kinnem, I would believe its because that particular unit has a number of super seniors due to the larger number of STEM type majors in the Navy and they plan their leadership around that. I can't tell you for sure but Im sure they will get those mids who need leadership time their chance in the spotlight. But it is the Navy, who knows why they do what they do:thumb:

:biggrin:
 
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