AROTC scholarship award

I thought our DS said they will be paying for room and board as he got grants for tuition. So, we will need to put that on our income tax?
I haven't experience the R&B personally, but others have posted here that while Tuition is not taxed, Room and Board is. What I don't know is whether the R&B is taxed on your son's Income Tax, or yours.
 
We do live only 2 hours away from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, so it is much cheaper for us. WestPoint didn't want him, but this is truly great to still have him so close and we can visit more. Didn't know that room and board was cheaper. I know Cal Poly is hard to get into and Santa Barbara was easier to be accepted. More bucks in Santa Barbara!
DS just took his test morning ( 2 mile run, push- ups and sit-ups) and passed, so now, with all the paper work in order, we will find out what will be paid. I thought our DS said they will be paying for room and board as he got grants for tuition. So, we will need to put that on our income tax? He is still a dependent and we do claim him, so this is new to us.
Thank you all for this information and the congrats too! :thumb:

You do not need to report any scholarship funds (or you can offset them, I don't recall which) that go to tuition, books, fees, etc. This is what ROTC scholarships traditionally pays for. The stipend is tax free. Any scholarship funds that cover room and board must still be reported on your tax return. You can still claim him as a dependent. If you need more details PM me and I'll hit the books to get the exact answers for you on offsets, where you report it, etc.
 
Honestly, this is a tax issue.

Contact your bursar to see how they file these grants from a tax liability question.

As others have stated, scholarship, stipend and allowance are not taxable.

Rule of thumb in the AD world...if it says PAY it is taxable, otherwise it isn't.
Scholarship, stipend and allowance is not PAY.
 
You do not need to report any scholarship funds (or you can offset them, I don't recall which) that go to tuition, books, fees, etc. This is what ROTC scholarships traditionally pays for. The stipend is tax free. Any scholarship funds that cover room and board must still be reported on your tax return. You can still claim him as a dependent. If you need more details PM me and I'll hit the books to get the exact answers for you on offsets, where you report it, etc.
Thank you for your answers to this question. We do have a CPA since we have our own businesses. We are taxed up the rear, so we will look into this one as well. Again, we appreciate all your knowledge on this board and just the positive stuff that comes with it!!!!!!
 
Our DS said that a freshman in his ROTC battalion received a 4 year scholarship before all this happened, but DID NOT pass the test the other day! What happens then? Does he get to take the sit-up test over as this was the one he failed? Surprised he wasn't practicing over the summer.:yllol:
 
If you fail any one of the three parts of the APFT test (2 mile run, situps, pushups) then you've failed the entire test. You will take it again and must achieve at least a score of 60 on each part.

The monthly stipend will not kick in until the test has been passed. Once that happens and the cadet has contracted, the stipend will begin, but it will not be retroactive. The $600 per semester book stipend will also be paid at that point.

Most important, tuition will not be paid until the test has been passed. If the test is not passed during the semester, then the scholarship is likely to be lost.

From what I've learned, the majority of cadets, including scholarship winners, fail some part of their first APFT. Improper form seems to be the culprit. However, they generally get it right the second or third time.
 
Thank you for that information on the APFT, EDelahanty. I am sure you have helped others with the process of passing/failing and what happens if you fail. I sent this info also to our DS so he understands as well.
 
My son just took his first APFT and had a stomach flu on that day. He passed, but did not have a stellar score. He is a 3yr AD. Will this be significantly detrimental to contracting next year and receiving his scholarship?
 
My son just took his first APFT and had a stomach flu on that day. He passed, but did not have a stellar score. He is a 3yr AD. Will this be significantly detrimental to contracting next year and receiving his scholarship?

No.
1. If he passed, he passed...and would therefore be able to contract.
2. Can't say I'm an expert on AROTC but I expect the test that will count is the one he takes just prior to contracting, and not this one anyway.
So it seems to he is safe on all counts.
 
No.
I expect the test that will count [for a 3 Yr. AD scholarship] is the one he takes just prior to contracting [beginning of MSII year], and not this one [beginning of MSI year] anyway.
I believe that is correct. If a 3 Yr. AD cadet passes the APFT as an MSI, then comes back from summer at the beginning of MSII year and fails one part of the test, they cannot Contract because they haven't Validated, is that correct? Can anyone confirm this?
 
I believe that is correct. If a 3 Yr. AD cadet passes the APFT as an MSI, then comes back from summer at the beginning of MSII year and fails one part of the test, they cannot Contract because they haven't Validated, is that correct? Can anyone confirm this?

That's correct, he will have to pass the APFT to contract when he starts his sophomore year.

laxmom8,

Your son shouldn't worry about the test he just took. Battalions have two recorded tests per year, usually at the end of each semester, the test he took was just a diagnostic, he has time to improve.
 
My son just took his first APFT and had a stomach flu on that day. He passed, but did not have a stellar score. He is a 3yr AD. Will this be significantly detrimental to contracting next year and receiving his scholarship?


I think that is everyone's worst thoughts when they take the test, whether contracted or not. To be sick or injured. Does anyone know how long they have to wait to take the APFT if they fail? Or is it up to each battalion?
 
I think that is everyone's worst thoughts when they take the test, whether contracted or not. To be sick or injured. Does anyone know how long they have to wait to take the APFT if they fail? Or is it up to each battalion?

It's up to the battalion, my son's battalion does a APFT every month as a diagnostic, they do the recorded test in December and May of each school year.

When my son was a freshman they took the APFT for the cadets that were trying to contract a couple days before school started. If any of the cadets failed they took the test again when they gave the battalion APFT about a week after school started. After that the tests were done once a month.
 
That makes sense and gives the battalion more time to practice. Thank you for that info!
 
Thanks for all of the responses. That really puts my mind at ease. DS was all excited to "kill it" and then woke up throwing up. He was so disappointed. But, I spoke to him today and he said that they do take the test once a month, so it sounds like they also follow the same schedule that Jcleppe was talking about.

He just really wanted to impress right out of the gates. He will just have to do it next time!
 
Just a little update with our DS son this past week-end. They had a barbeque for the kids that are contracting this past Saturday and I believe they were sworn in(?). Our DS said he would not get any benefits for 45 days. Does this sound right? Many of you have been so helpful with this process and I appreciate your answers. Thank you!!
 
Just a little update with our DS son this past week-end. They had a barbeque for the kids that are contracting this past Saturday and I believe they were sworn in(?). Our DS said he would not get any benefits for 45 days. Does this sound right? Many of you have been so helpful with this process and I appreciate your answers. Thank you!!

Did your son's school year just start.

That seems about right, they don't pay the tuition for 45 days to make sure he sticks with it. Book money should come about the same time. If he contracted he should get his stipend starting next pay period, if it does not come til after it should be retroactive to the date he contracted.

Congratulations to your son for contracting.
 
Did your son's school year just start.

That seems about right, they don't pay the tuition for 45 days to make sure he sticks with it. Book money should come about the same time. If he contracted he should get his stipend starting next pay period, if it does not come til after it should be retroactive to the date he contracted.

Congratulations to your son for contracting.

Yes, he started about 2 weeks ago and is a freshman. So with this 45 day lapse, they will NOT pay for October's stipend? His books for the first quarter? Thank you for the congrats too. We are so proud of him!!!
 
Yes, he started about 2 weeks ago and is a freshman. So with this 45 day lapse, they will NOT pay for October's stipend? His books for the first quarter? Thank you for the congrats too. We are so proud of him!!!

It just takes about 45 days for the payment to go through. He will still get his payment for books and also for all time since he contracted (including Oct.)... it will be retroactive.

It's kind of like my first pension check which will take 90 days to arrive from the time I submitted my paperwork, but I'll still see the money. I hope my savings will hold out until then! You would think, in this computer age, that things could happen much more quickly! :biggrin:
 
It just takes about 45 days for the payment to go through. He will still get his payment for books and also for all time since he contracted (including Oct.)... it will be retroactive.

It's kind of like my first pension check which will take 90 days to arrive from the time I submitted my paperwork, but I'll still see the money. I hope my savings will hold out until then! You would think, in this computer age, that things could happen much more quickly! :biggrin:

I do understand now, thank you for the clarification. This waiting period is nothing compared to the health insurance stuff. Still getting bills 6 months later! OUCH!
 
Back
Top