Wow, I saw there were only about 625 4 year AROTC scholarships last year and I was told by Fort Knox there were probably less this year. Congrats to all the winners!
Army ROTC Scholarships FAQs
Q: What are my chances of getting the Army ROTC Scholarship?
A: It depends. Army Cadet Command looks at three areas of performance in what they term Scholar/Athlete/Leader (SAL) criteria. Scholar criteria is determined from your high school grades and SAT or ACT scores. The higher your grades and scores, the better your chances. Athlete criteria is determined by your participation in sports, your performance on the President's Challenge Fitness test, and whether or not you meet the Army's height and weight standards. The better your physical and athletic ability, the better your chances. Leader criteria is determined by your participation in leadership positions in extra-curricular activities both in and out of high school during your high school years. Particular emphasis is placed on leadership positions you may have held on sports teams, volunteer activities, part-time work, clubs, scouting, church, etc. The more extensive your leadership record in these activities, the better your chances. The Cadet Command selection board makes decisions based on the strength of your application compared to the applicant pool. The profile for the 2014 academic year nation-wide recipients:
95% were in the top 50% of their classes in academic (79% were in the top 25%)
35% were class officers
63% earned varsity sports letters
43% were varsity team sports captains
27% were in JROTC
15% were club presidents
3.5 average GPA
1247 math + critical reading SAT; 27 ACT composite score
Q: How many scholarships are available nation-wide?
A: For the academic year 2014-2015, 8,434 high school seniors applied for the scholarship. About 2,500 applicants were awarded a scholarship. About 25% of those were 4-year scholarships (625) and 75% were 3-year scholarships.
Q: What is the difference between a 4-year and a 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship?
A: Cadet Command awards both three year and four year scholarships through the centralized selection process. The top candidates are selected for four year scholarships, others are awarded three-year scholarships, and others are not selected at all. If you are awarded a 4-year scholarship, then your benefits will be paid your freshman year as long as you pass the Army fitness test, medical exam, and meet height and weight requirements. If you are awarded a 3-year scholarship, your benefits will begin your sophomore year as long as you pass the Army fitness test, physical exam, remain in good academic standing, and meet the height and weight requirements. Final award of the 3-year scholarship is at the discretion of the Professor of Military Science.
Q: What is my service obligation?
A: Any Army commission, Active Duty, Reserve or Guard, carries an 8-year service obligation. If you receive an Army ROTC scholarship, then you must commission and serve in the Regular Army for at least 4 years after you graduate. The last 4 years of your service obligation may be served in the Guard, Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, or you may remain on active duty for the full 8 years or until retirement. It is also possible to commission directly into the Army National Guard or Reserve without commissioning active duty. Obligation is 6 years of active drill duty (one weekend per month and two weeks of annual training), plus two years in the Individual Ready Reserve.
