NROTC MO Opportunities

hyyt8

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Jan 19, 2016
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Assuming I get nothing this year, in the way of appointments or scholarships, what options are there to pursue a 3-year marine-option scholarship?
The NROTC website states that the 2 and 3 year scholarships are only available to Navy and Nurse options.
The Marine Corps website lists the 3 year scholarships that only minorities are eligible for.
So are there any other ways to get a 3-year MO scholarship?
 
hyyt8: I think I have this correct but I know Rocatalin and Kinnem will have their DS' first-hand experience to share with you. You can reapply for the 4-year but it would be awarded as a 3-year. You can apply as a college programmer and get a scholarship. You can join the PLC program. Or you can apply for OCS after graduation. I think that covers all the option. Sorry for the brevity - I am on the run this morning.
 
USMCGrunt is spot on.

In short, you can now reapply for the 4-year National Scholarship during your Freshman year in college. My son was not selected as a High School Senior...went to his college of choice and joined the NROTC unit as a College Programmer. Declared Marine Option and reapplied during his Freshaman year. He was selected but the scholarship didn't kick in until his College Sophomore year. That's pretty much Plan A for those that aren't selected out of High School. Good grades, high PFT score, being active in the unit are very important. The Marine Officer Instructor's recommedation carries alot of weight. If you think about it, you'll have spent several months in daily or weekly contact with the MOI....

If you don't get picked up using that approach, you can stay a College Programmer and apply for what is called a Side Load scholarship...generally those kick in either Sophomore or Junior year. Most apply as Sophomores, get selected and (I think) the actual scholarship kicks in the Junior year. These are rare and getting rarer.

If you've not gotten selected via one of those programs by the end of your Sophomore year, you have to leave the ROTC unit, but there are still other ways:

Separate from ROTC, you can apply for PLC. PLC isn't associated with ROTC, but generally, the Marine PLC candidates do stuff with the Marine Option ROTC students (like PT and Field Exercises).

Last, as mentioned, you can graduate college and apply for OCC.

There are also several other programs for enlisted Marines to either earn a degree + commission (if they don't have a degree) or a commission (if they have a degree).
 
+1 to USMCDad. DS won a sideload scholarship autumn of his sophomore year that kicked in the second semester of his sophomore year. The numbers undoubtedly vary by semester but when DS was selected only 8 were awarded nationwide. I'm confident there are more in the spring. However, with re-application for the 4 year scholarship now an option I also think sideloads are getting rarer.

I know a few folks who dropped NROTC and went the PLC route with 2 summers spent at Quantico. DS was exploring this route as plan B, if he wasn't awarded the sideload. OCC is an option as well. I think you'll be more competitive for PLC and OCC if you have participated in NROTC for a couple years so don't consider NROTC a wasted investment for these scenarios.
 
Thanks all. I am going to the Citadel in case I don't receive an appointment to a service academy, so I won't have to worry about PLC or OCC; I'm just worried about the ridiculous cost. I assume being in the ROTC program at a SMC without scholarship still constitutes as being a programmer?
 
Thanks all. I am going to the Citadel in case I don't receive an appointment to a service academy, so I won't have to worry about PLC or OCC; I'm just worried about the ridiculous cost. I assume being in the ROTC program at a SMC without scholarship still constitutes as being a programmer?
Yes. That's what a college programmer is - someone who participates in NROTC without a scholarship. Army has some other word for it, but it's the same thing.
 
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