Rescinding ROTC Scholarship Acceptance

Joos

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Nov 29, 2015
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I have been awarded four year scholarships for AROTC and AFROTC. The papers for AROTC came and I accepted the scholarship offer knowing that if I got a different offer I could rescind my acceptance. I am still waiting on medical waivers for recurrent patellar dislocation.

Last week I received an appointment to USAFA which I fully intend to accept. My mother wants me to hold on to the scholarships just to keep plan B in my pocket. I would be perfectly fine doing that, but am I taking the scholarship slots at the university I selected away from someone else?

Also, what is the latest date I would be able to rescind my acceptance?
 
am I taking the scholarship slots at the university I selected away from someone else?

The answer is "may be" . . . you would have to notify USACC or AF ROTC prior to the last selection board this year so they could potentially reallocate it.

It is admirable of you to ask and be concerned about "wasting" a slot, but you have earned those 2 national ROTC scholarships, so you have the right to hold them.

IMHO, the practical nature of keeping them as "Plan Bs"is that, anything that would keep you from going to USAFA (i.e., medical waiver denied) would most likely keep you from using the AF ROTC scholarship as well. While they are 2 different waiver authorities (USAFA and AF ROTC), they seem to follow the same decision paths. I have not seen USAFA deny a waiver and AFROTC grant the waiver. It may have happened, I just haven't seen it.

However, USACC for the AROTC seems to be a bit more "reasonable" on some medical matters. I have seen USAFA deny a waiver, and USACC grant the waiver. I have also heard of a case where Army denied a waiver but USAFA granted it. So since you are waiting on a medical waiver, you should probably hold on to all the appointments you have earned and see which comes through.

Best of luck and congratulations on your multiple awards.
 
My DD is in a similar situation. She has accepted an appointment to USAFA and she has been offered a 4 year AFROTC scholarship. She has until May 1st to accept it. She is set on the Academy and the only way she will not be there on I-day is if she is in a cast or worse. What happens if she secures the ROTC scholarship and then makes it to I-day? How does she notify ROTC to release her scholarship? Thanks.
 
The answer is "may be" . . . you would have to notify USACC or AF ROTC prior to the last selection board this year so they could potentially reallocate it.

It is admirable of you to ask and be concerned about "wasting" a slot, but you have earned those 2 national ROTC scholarships, so you have the right to hold them.

IMHO, the practical nature of keeping them as "Plan Bs"is that, anything that would keep you from going to USAFA (i.e., medical waiver denied) would most likely keep you from using the AF ROTC scholarship as well. While they are 2 different waiver authorities (USAFA and AF ROTC), they seem to follow the same decision paths. I have not seen USAFA deny a waiver and AFROTC grant the waiver. It may have happened, I just haven't seen it.

However, USACC for the AROTC seems to be a bit more "reasonable" on some medical matters. I have seen USAFA deny a waiver, and USACC grant the waiver. I have also heard of a case where Army denied a waiver but USAFA granted it. So since you are waiting on a medical waiver, you should probably hold on to all the appointments you have earned and see which comes through.

Best of luck and congratulations on your multiple awards.

I have been granted a medical waiver for USAFA for this issue so I am thinking that if/when the AFROTC waiver comes I can at least tell USACC that I will be rescinding my offer. Thanks for the advice/help
 
What happens if she secures the ROTC scholarship and then makes it to I-day? How does she notify ROTC to release her scholarship? Thanks.

The legal ROTC contract is not signed until you report to the civilian university. What you have (or will) sign for ROTC prior to reporting to the school is not legally binding. I believe all you do is send an email to the respective ROTC Detachment(s) letting them know you (or your child) has accepted a SA appointment, although I believe this is a courtesy and I do not believe it is explicitly required. Check the fine print in all of the ROTC offer paperwork you have been sent. There may be instructions in there.
 
I have been granted a medical waiver for USAFA for this issue so I am thinking that if/when the AFROTC waiver comes I can at least tell USACC that I will be rescinding my offer. Thanks for the advice/help

If you now have no desire to serve as an Army Officer, it would be a good thing to notify USACC soon so your AROTC scholarship can be reallocated for the final AROTC scholarship board.
 
I would add another reason to hang onto the ROTC scholarship is in case of injury. You may not heal to report in time for I day, but you will have additional weeks to heal prior to ROTC. Kids have been known to sprain an ankle getting off a bus on I day and turned back.
 
I would add another reason to hang onto the ROTC scholarship is in case of injury. You may not heal to report in time for I day, but you will have additional weeks to heal prior to ROTC.

Yep -- agree kinnem . . . I know of a case where that additional 4-6 weeks of healing would have made all the difference -- healed in time to report for ROTC but would not have been able to report for an SA's I or R-day.
 
I would add another reason to hang onto the ROTC scholarship is in case of injury. You may not heal to report in time for I day, but you will have additional weeks to heal prior to ROTC. Kids have been known to sprain an ankle getting off a bus on I day and turned back.
But there is no reason I should hang onto them both. So if I can get a waiver from AFTOTC, my higher choice, I will cancel AROTC
 
Falconrocks,

Once you report for I Day, USAFA will notify HQ AFROTC and they will immediately rescind the scholarship. They are accustomed to many cadets holding onto the scholarship until I Day.
 
Falconrocks,

Once you report for I Day, USAFA will notify HQ AFROTC and they will immediately rescind the scholarship. They are accustomed to many cadets holding onto the scholarship until I Day.
Thanks Pima.
 
We plan to hold onto it until she reports to I-day.
Hello if one holds on to NROTC scholarship then they must also secure spot at the college...pay deposit pay for dorm etc??? What is the rule with colleges if you don't attend?? My sons plan B college might be UPenn, accepting then cancelling on I-day might not look favorably for my younger son who will be applying there in few years??? Very complicated??
 
Hello if one holds on to NROTC scholarship then they must also secure spot at the college...pay deposit pay for dorm etc??? What is the rule with colleges if you don't attend?? My sons plan B college might be UPenn, accepting then cancelling on I-day might not look favorably for my younger son who will be applying there in few years??? Very complicated??
Blessedmom, yes, you do have to hold the spot and pay the deposits if you want your DS to go there as a plan B. There are also many past threads on this very subject that might help. Here are a couple:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...-cancel-free-school-visits.37276/#post-364713
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/accepting-two-offers.45933/#post-453489

AFROTC scholarships are a little different in that they follow the student to whatever college they choose. My DD will accept her 4 yr but has not yet decided on which college she will apply it to. She has been accepted at Baylor, Texas A&M, UT Austin and ASU. We are waiting for the NM results to come out in February before choosing a college, plus we have not yet visited Baylor but plan to do so in a couple of days.

We plan to put down the deposit (which is non-refundable), and also put down the housing deposit (which is fully refundable until a certain date) until after she makes it through BCT. Once she shows up for BCT, her ROTC scholarship will be rescinded . We will keep her signed up at her college until parents weekend at USAFA and then will pull her spot. We want to ensure she has a place to go just in case something happens during BCT.

You have to do what is best for your family. We do not want to burn any bridges as we cannot predict the future. We think we have a solid plan and it works for our situation. Have you tried contacting the admissions at UPenn and explaining your DS's situation? Some colleges are very understanding and work with students, some are not. My philosophy is to be up front and honest in all situations and you can never go wrong. You may not get the answer you want from the college, but you and the college will know where you stand. Please keep us posted. Aim High!
 
Blessedmom, yes, you do have to hold the spot and pay the deposits if you want your DS to go there as a plan B. There are also many past threads on this very subject that might help. Here are a couple:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...-cancel-free-school-visits.37276/#post-364713
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/accepting-two-offers.45933/#post-453489

AFROTC scholarships are a little different in that they follow the student to whatever college they choose. My DD will accept her 4 yr but has not yet decided on which college she will apply it to. She has been accepted at Baylor, Texas A&M, UT Austin and ASU. We are waiting for the NM results to come out in February before choosing a college, plus we have not yet visited Baylor but plan to do so in a couple of days.

We plan to put down the deposit (which is non-refundable), and also put down the housing deposit (which is fully refundable until a certain date) until after she makes it through BCT. Once she shows up for BCT, her ROTC scholarship will be rescinded . We will keep her signed up at her college until parents weekend at USAFA and then will pull her spot. We want to ensure she has a place to go just in case something happens during BCT.

You have to do what is best for your family. We do not want to burn any bridges as we cannot predict the future. We think we have a solid plan and it works for our situation. Have you tried contacting the admissions at UPenn and explaining your DS's situation? Some colleges are very understanding and work with students, some are not. My philosophy is to be up front and honest in all situations and you can never go wrong. You may not get the answer you want from the college, but you and the college will know where you stand. Please keep us posted. Aim High!
Thank you for info;). Yes we will secure plan B, glad there are options, I am sure colleges understand and to make it less complicated we can just tell the college son is wait listed to SA, think that might be easier and more realistically acceptable:) and with no appointment yet who knows...?
 
Blessedmom and others: Although I can only speak for my college as a member of the admissions board, we do talk to one another (my colleagues on admissions committees at other colleges and unis).

FalconsRock is right: you and your DS must do what's best for you and your family. We are a selective college, but not super-selective. Every year, when we extend offers of admissions to students, we know that some of the students to whom we make offers will change their minds - for a variety of reasons. Some are admitted late to SAs. Some get into their first-choice college after we admit them. And so on. I've been serving on the admissions committee long enough that we've had siblings of previous candidates come up for admissions. Although we are human, we really try our best to evaluate a candidate based only on that person's merit and how well we think that candidate will fit into our college community. And, part of why we make 1.13 (+/-) offers for every matriculating freshman and transfer is, we know it's going to happen. That's also why we and others ask for non-refundable enrollment deposits: it gets our admitted students' skin in the game, and from a very practical standpoint, it helps us recoup some of the recruitment and time costs that it takes a college to put a freshman class together.

My guess is that UPenn - admitting a much larger freshman class than us - is well aware that all of that ^^ is going to happen and will not care that your DS is on a wait list to USxA or the University of Awesomeness. Put down the deposits and sleep in good conscience. You're not doing anything wrong or unethical, and what's more, colleges are fully aware this is a standard practice.
 
DS received the deposit request letters from 4 of his picks I had him or I sent message to the schools that we need to wait till boards results are posted as well as that schools final All scholarships letters. Did FASFA Jan3 and he is sending emails and calling the schools that are his AROTC/NROTC choices and the ones from NSHSS that are offering 100% scholarships. We let them know that we are not in a place to make the deposit until a decision is made. all wrote back that they understood and the deadline for the deposit one also let him know that the deposit would be refunded if he gets an AROTC scholarship.
 
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