Sophomore + 4 year scholarship

If I receive a 4 year AROTC scholarship as a college sophomore (having applied as a freshman), can I use all four years? Meaning, can I be a fifth year college student, with the ROTC scholarship paying for my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th years of college? I'd like to take advantage of the 5th year to take some higher-level classes, perhaps even double majoring in another technical major.

(To be clear, I am currently a rising freshman). Thanks for your help.

I will take a stab at answering your question and will rely on more experienced posters and moderators to correct me if I'm wrong. The national AROTC scholarship that people are referring to on this forum is for high school seniors. If you are already in college, then you cannot apply. But don't fret, you can still join ROTC and compete for an on-campus scholarship. I would suggest going to the battalion and talking to the recruiting officer. He will most likely advise you to enroll in the freshman military science course and lab as a non-scholarshipped, non-contracted cadet. Once you do that, do your best to distinguish yourself from your peers by excelling at PT, volunteering, and being involved. If you do those things and have a good GPA, you might get offered a 3.5 or 3 yr scholarship. It would then possibly pay for your spring semester and then years 2, 3, and 4.

I am not in college yet, though. I am applying now before I get any college credits, so I am still technically not a college student. If I were to get the scholarship, I would have it awarded beginning 2017-18, so I thought I could use it until the 2020-21 year, ie my 5th year of college. Does anyone have any information on this? Thanks

When will you be matriculating?

sweetstumpy said:

I am not in college yet, though. I am applying now before I get any college credits, so I am still technically not a college student. If I were to get the scholarship, I would have it awarded beginning 2017-18, so I thought I could use it until the 2020-21 year, ie my 5th year of college. Does anyone have any information on this? Thanks

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Please correct me if I am making a wrong assumption so that we can better answer your question. It sounds like you're have finished high school but have not yet started your freshman year in college, is that correct? If so, will you be attending college this year, or starting as a freshman in 2017-2018?

I have just graduated from high school in June. I begin college in September. Since I am not yet technically matriculated, I am technically within the bounds of applying for a 4 year ROTC scholarship. That 4 year scholarship would only begin in 2017-18 (my sophomore year), as I would be awarded the scholarship during this academic year. My question is, since that 4 year scholarship only begins paying my tuition as a sophomore (2017-18), can I use it all the way to my 5th year in college (2020-21) without my commitment being extended or needing to go through any additional process? Effectively, can I use all 4 years of the 4 year scholarship, though beginning to use it as a sophomore?

sweetstumpy said:

I have just graduated from high school in June. I begin college in September. Since I am not yet technically matriculated, I am technically within the bounds of applying for a 4 year ROTC scholarship. That 4 year scholarship would only begin in 2017-18 (my sophomore year), as I would be awarded the scholarship during this academic year. My question is, since that 4 year scholarship only begins paying my tuition as a sophomore (2017-18), can I use it all the way to my 5th year in college (2020-21) without my commitment being extended or needing to go through any additional process? Effectively, can I use all 4 years of the 4 year scholarship, though beginning to use it as a sophomore?

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I have never heard of this before, and I might be wrong, but I think you are mistaken on the interpretation of the High School scholarship. Even though you have not started yet, you are still attending a year of college in 2016-2017, correct?

I think you are seeing a loop hole where there isn't one. Maybe @clarksonarmy or @BAMA ROTC can chime in and correct me if I am wrong? It is like the question, if a tree falls in the forest and no one heard it, does it make a sound....? In this case, yes it does. Just because you are filling out your application now, when it is reviewed by the board, you will have matriculated, does that make sense. Just because you are not turning in your freshman year now, you are still a freshman in 2016=2017. My understanding, and there have been many threads about it on this board, is that when you begin and contract for your scholarship, you need to be a freshman in college at that time. If you were to take a gap year this year, then yes you could apply for 2017-2018, however, since you are going to complete your freshman year this year, you are not eligible for a high school scholarship. Just like the high school applicants that start their senior year in September, they are Seniors, not Juniors, even if they apply before school starts.. If you apply for a campus scholarship, you would be eligible for a 3 year.

Your best bet is to contact the ROO at the school you will be attending in September and talk this through and see what your campus based options are. In some cases you may be eligible for a 3.5 year, however, you would still be class of 2020.

DCKC88 you are correct (though can also get a 4 year or 3.5 year campus based scholarship). Good suggestions to poster: contact ROO, join AROTC compete for campus based. Though remember not all commissioned officers were scholarship or WP.

If OP is 2016 high school graduate entering college 2016-2017, is ineligible to apply for national 4 year or 3 year AD (advance designee) scholarships for 2016-2017. If applicant is taking or has taken college courses still must be considered a freshman and have four academic years remaining for a baccalaureate degree upon enrollment. AROTC pays for one degree. Campus based scholarships are offered to students who were not offered or did not apply for the High School ROTC Scholarship or Green to Gold program. These scholarships are extremely limited and may range in length from 2-4 years. They generally go to cadets who have enrolled in AROTC and demonstrated commitment to the program; or entering freshman who have demonstrated strong potential to the campus based PMS.

If you are a full time college student you can't apply for the national scholarship. As previous posters said, talk to the ROO at your school, enroll in ROTC class and compete for a campus based scholarship. If you were interested in a 4 year national scholarship the deadline to apply was in January of your senior year of high school.