AROTC Scholarship and Naval Academy Appointment

J

johnnytsunami88

5-Year Member
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Okay so here is the deal,

A friend of mine is a freshmen student at a University and he is a non-contracted cadet in the Army ROTC program. He is also an applicant to the Naval Academy. After being denied last year, he decided he would seek to acquire his dream of receiving an appointment for one more year.

Just the other day he was offered a 4 year full active duty AROTC scholarship. He has to make his decision by next week in order for the scholarship to cover his past semester and just to contract for the general scholarship.

My question is this: If he accepts the scholarship at the University, does he need to withdraw his application from the Naval Academy? Or can he still apply for an appointment and take the appointment even if he contracts for the 4 year scholarship? I need some words of wisdom on this one so any information would be great.

Thanks in advance.
 
johnnytsunami88 said:
Okay so here is the deal,

A friend of mine is a freshmen student at a University and he is a non-contracted cadet in the Army ROTC program. He is also an applicant to the Naval Academy. After being denied last year, he decided he would seek to acquire his dream of receiving an appointment for one more year.

Just the other day he was offered a 4 year full active duty AROTC scholarship. He has to make his decision by next week in order for the scholarship to cover his past semester and just to contract for the general scholarship.

My question is this: If he accepts the scholarship at the University, does he need to withdraw his application from the Naval Academy? Or can he still apply for an appointment and take the appointment even if he contracts for the 4 year scholarship? I need some words of wisdom on this one so any information would be great.

Thanks in advance.
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Good question. I would suggest your friend be above-board and discuss it with his cadre. They will know the answer, and if the answer is that he can still proceed they are now in the loop. There may be an Army vs Navy issue here, but I think technically an appointment to any service academy would supersede the AROTC scholarship (but I wouldn't bet my life on that statement). Nevertheless by speaking with his cadre he avoids the moral hazard of blind-siding them with it if he does get an appointment, and he gets an authoritative answer.
 
Let's say he spoke with his cadre and they informed him that this contract would be binding and would lawfully force him to withdraw his application to the Naval Academy. Would this scholarship be too much to turn down? Is it not worth taking another stab at the Naval Academy? I feel as though this opportunity, although not his dream pathway, is too great to turn down especially considering the fact that the Naval Academy may not even work out for him so he may be left with neither option available if he does not make the decision to take the scholarship.

This really sparks my interest, I wish I had all the answers, or knew someone who did. But then again, if we all had the answers we wouldn't really have this forum now would we haha. Just a thought. Hit me with a response people.
 
A bird in the hand?

I feel that only the person who is taking the risk will be able to decide if declining the "bird in the hand" (the AROTC scholarship) is worth "two in the bush".
 
mkjw said:
I feel that only the person who is taking the risk will be able to decide if declining the "bird in the hand" (the AROTC scholarship) is worth "two in the bush".
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Like another suggested, I believe this can be a both/and, not either/or ... If he's attractive to one, he's attractive to the other in most cases. They seek congruent characteristics and qualities.

Start with TALKING with the Army officers. They've all been down this road, some even personally. If the candidate is sufficiently attractive and not 47 others equally so standing in line, they may well lend some compensation to ensure that it's a good match for both the candidate and final service selection.
 
I believe he can still walk away from an AROTC scholarship with no obligation up to the first day of his sophomore year.
 
when a HS senior is awarded an AROTC scholarship, and accepts it, and subsequently is Appointed to USMA, he/she is not penalized for reporting instead on R-day to USMA.

When a scholarship MSI in AROTC who has reapplied to the USMA is Appointed to USMA, there is no penalty for that ROTC cadet to separate from the ROTC Battalion and report to USMA on R-day (instead of reporting to ROTC the first day of his MSII year).

If an AROTC non-scholarship MSI is awarded a 4 (retroactive) or 3.5 year AROTC scholarship (thus Contracting) while in college during MSI year, and decides over the summer after MSI year that they don't want to continue in AROTC, there is no issue. No payback, no nothing. No penalty for breaking the Contract any time before the start of MSII year.

So I don't see how accepting an Appointment to USNA, after having Contracted with AROTC during MSI year, would be an issue. If the cadet is free to separate from ROTC and break the Contract at will, for any reason, prior to MSII year, why can't they separate from ROTC and break the Contract to attend USNA?

I think this question is best posed to Admissions at USNA to get a definitive answer. I think bringing up this issue with the Cadre might influence them to NOT award the campus-based ROTC scholarship to your friend. It may very well be that Admissions at USNA can't give him an answer about what AROTC would permit... but he needs to find out first, before he lays all of his cards on the table with AROTC.

I am not your friend, but if I were in his shoes, I would make sure I studied and understood the AROTC Scholarship Cadet Contract, especially where it talks about the Cadet's obligation to reimburse. As I understand that section, there is no, zero obligation placed on a scholarship cadet who separates prior to the start of MSII year, for ANY reason. Here is a copy of what your friend will sign next week: http://www.missouristate.edu/assets/milcsi/DA597_3_Scholarship_Cadet_Contract.pdf
 
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Oh, johnnytsunami88, forgot to ask: where did you end up this year? In the spring you had appointments to USNA, USMA, and admission to Penn and some other civilian colleges, but were waiting on your #1 choice, USAFA.
 
I actually ended up at USNA so it is pretty disappointing that I do not know the answer to my friends question isn't it? haha. And yes I was a recruited athlete to three ivy leagues last year as well as to the service academies and a few other no name civilian schools. Interestingly I chose not to participate in divisional NCAA athletics, but was accepted to all schools nonetheless. I am very lucky, however. Fingers crossed for my friend!

Also, thank you for all of your responses. Specifically you dunninla that is some impressive information you presented I respect you for conveying that so thanks again.
 
johnnytsunami88 said:
Let's say he spoke with his cadre and they informed him that this contract would be binding and would lawfully force him to withdraw his application to the Naval Academy. Would this scholarship be too much to turn down? Is it not worth taking another stab at the Naval Academy? I feel as though this opportunity, although not his dream pathway, is too great to turn down especially considering the fact that the Naval Academy may not even work out for him so he may be left with neither option available if he does not make the decision to take the scholarship.

This really sparks my interest, I wish I had all the answers, or knew someone who did. But then again, if we all had the answers we wouldn't really have this forum now would we haha. Just a thought. Hit me with a response people.
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First they may not tell him that... that's why we ask! Second, he can make an informed decision whatever the answer is when he has the actual facts in hand. Not all of life's choices are easy.
 
That is risky kinnem. To bring the subject up BEFORE the cadet has accepted the Scholarship and Contracted next week has the risk of making the Scholarship... PFFFT.... disappear. ROTC is obviously OK with Scholarship awardees test driving the commitment during the entire MSI year, just as USNA is OK with mids taking two years to make sure they want to commission out of USNA, since there is no repayment obligation in either case.

If you were a manager hiring for the Sales Dept at your company, would you offer a job to a recent college grad (assuming you had several other almost equally qualified applicants) who told you in the Interview process that he might actually be more interested in a his "dream job" in the Accounting Dept? What if the kid told you:

"Kinnem, I just want you to know that I've also applied for a job in the Accounting Dept but I won't know about that until mid February. I might prefer that one if it were offered to me. Don't get me wrong, I ABSOLUTELY would love to accept your job offer for Sales now, but I do want to make sure you'd be OK with me transferring over to Accounting if I get that offer in February."

Come on, Really??
 
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