Army ROTC Campused Based Scholarships

[ricardocolon]

1. Does the army PMS at a university have the ability to award scholarships to college students in the ROTC basic course? Or do college students have to apply and get selected at the nation wide level for these scholarships? I only ask because some of my friends in the Air Force ROTC program said that their PMS can award one scholarship to freshman and another to sophmore every year.

2. What are the lengths for these campus based scholarships? Through many sources in the internet I have seen that they can be 2-4 years in lenght but other sources say they are only 2-3 years in lenght...

I'm in a 5 year mechanical engineering degree.

 

[sheriff3]

Campus based scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the PMS with input from cadre. If you are interested sign up for AROTC, show up in shape and ready to do well on the APFT and be in regs with your personal appearance. If you do well you may be offered a 3.5 year scholarship. Once offered you will need to complete your DODMERB and background check. Once all this is done you will contract and reap the rewards of the scholarship. Tuition, book stipend and $300 stipend. This is a general overview and I'm sure there are others that can offer more specific information.

 

[ricardocolon]

Thanks! I do a lot of running, I just have to work on my calisthenics then...once awarded the scholarship, the length of the scholarahip determines how long you have to graduate? If so what if you go over that length?

 

[Kronk]

Thanks! I do a lot of running, I just have to work on my calisthenics then...once awarded the scholarship, the length of the scholarahip determines how long you have to graduate? If so what if you go over that length?

The length of the scholarship is based on a 4 year undergraduate degree. The scholarship will cover to the end of that length.
If you go over, typically nothing positive comes out of it. I am not knowledgeable to speak to specific actions though.

 

[ricardocolon]

Thanks guys! This information is very helpful! So if a cadet contracts first and chooses to do the SMP program in which he will loose a semester or two he still has to graduate in the time alloted for which he received his scholarship? (if a 3 year scholarahip is awarded and a cadet joins the SMP and goes to basic and AIT does he still have to graduate in three years?) I went to my campus' rotc office and they referred me to the National Guard. I know I can be getting tok ahead of myself, but should and only should the opportunity rise, I don't know if its better to join the National Guard and contract or contract first....I'm really interested in making the army a career.

 

[PennStateArmyROTC]

1. Does the army PMS at a university have the ability to award scholarships to college students in the ROTC basic course? Or do college students have to apply and get selected at the nation wide level for these scholarships? I only ask because some of my friends in the Air Force ROTC program said that their PMS can award one scholarship to freshman and another to sophmore every year.

2. What are the lengths for these campus based scholarships? Through many sources in the internet I have seen that they can be 2-4 years in lenght but other sources say they are only 2-3 years in lenght...

I'm in a 5 year mechanical engineering degree.

Sooo much to cover in this one:

1. Campus Based Scholarships: You need to understand that all ROTC services are different. I plan and execute all of the Joint Service Information Briefs at Penn State, so I have a lot of knowledge of the other services.
   1. Air Force - You can immediately re-apply for the National Air Force Scholarship, if you don't receive one from the high school process. You can only do this for the first year, but can concurrently compete for any campus based scholarships. The Detachment Commander CAN award one 'silver bullet' scholarship to an incoming freshman, but I'm not sure of the criteria and/or if he has the same authority for Sophomores. *One note, AFROTC programs highly covet STEM majors. Penn State's AFROTC program usually sits between 80-85% STEM, and their scholarships reflect that.
   2. Army - Candidates can re-apply for the National scholarship if you did NOT enroll at a University as a full time student, since last year's boards. A PMS can typically award available scholarship money to any administratively qualified cadet in his/her Battalion. The key is that Brigades control available scholarship money, so there are often HUGE fluctuations. Since I've been at Penn State (7x years), we've gone through stretches with near unlimited scholarship funds, and also long stretches with zero campus based scholarships. We're now coming out of one of those droughts. Regardless, we rank order our Cadets every semester, using very specific criteria, then post the results (using student ID #'s for relative anonymity). This is so Cadets know where they need to improve for future boards.
   3. NROTC Midshipmen can compete for 2/3-year 'side load' scholarships in a National process. It is similar to the National High School process, and Campus cadre have limited influence over the process. I'm not sure of the Professor of Naval Science's ability to award direct scholarships.
2. Scholarship Lengths: The following information is only specific to Army ROTC. I'm not familiar with this part of the other services. Army ROTC will pay for the length of time your University specifies it takes to earn your degree, UP TO 5x YEARS (10x semesters). The key is that it MUST be reflected on your contracting 104-R (academic planning sheet), and your University Academic Adviser must sign off on the plan.
3. SMP: You need to do a bit more research on the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). There's a previous thread that had a lot of good information, and I recommend you look into it. Bottom line, if you are a Contracted SMP Cadet, you will NOT go to BCT/AIT (if not previously attended). Let us know if you need more information on this one. http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...taneous-membership-program.50255/#post-499942

I created the enclosed document for Joint Service recruitment events at Penn State. I hope it helps!

 

[ricardocolon]

It helped a lot PennState AROTC! I found answers to all my questions minus the SMP. I read the article and what I underatand is basically a cadet that is not under contract would have to join the National Guard first, and then ask permission to receive an SMP contract? And that if a cadet receives a scholarship and is under contract they cannot join the SMP program? I am really confused...I will see what the PMS has to say about this...