Deceptive Advertising? R&B

[pa-outdoorsman]

well that sucks. DS will not go wrong with either school. I am from Charleston, SC and choose VMI. Both great schools but I obviously have affinity for one over the other!

Well, we are from PA and Lexington looks a lot like here. Tough to beat Charleston, the weather, the beach. Honestly, there is just more going on at The Citadel.

That said, both DS and we agree that purely from an academic/military perspective, the schools are mirror images of one another. The window dressing is far different, but the meat very, very similar.

 

[Herman_Snerd]

I see themes in the great posts above:
1. Confirm details in writing with an authoritative source from the school. Be aware that unless in writing, things can change.
2. Confirm WHAT is covered and for how many years. Ex. Double occupancy and 14 meals/week plan, for all four years? freshman year only? Only to 8 scholarship recipients per year? Do you still get money if you move off campus (*which happens at SOME colleges but not others), etc.
3. check all colleges you are considering as these benefits vary greatly.

I'd get it in writing which merit/ financial aid, and external scholarships you may be able to use vs lose too from each college for room/ board or to keep. Not uncommon for schools to take back scholarships for full ROTC scholarship winners vs sending them a check for the overage. But, some schools actually send them a check for the overage, which is nice.

In the end, excluding flight costs which are not covered by ROTC for his major, my DS MADE MONEY going to college on an ROTC scholarship. His second choice would have been 64k in room and board, other choices were even higher. The details matter - good on you all for completing your due diligence in planning - good luck.

 

[Ski126]

Ugh! We are dealing with something similar right now at The Citadel. They were paying 100% tuition and room/board for 3-year AD winners in the Classes of 2026 and 2027. But they've cut it way back for the Class of 2028 and it's going to cost a tidy bundle for freshman year.

Meanwhile, VMI is practically begging DS to come with four years of free room and board (Call of Duty) and a very generous aid offer for freshman year.

My DS is attending The Citadel on scholarship also and we just had the financial aid call yesterday with that tiny bundle news..

 

[pa-outdoorsman]

My DS is attending The Citadel on scholarship also and we just had the financial aid call yesterday with that tiny bundle news..

Oh yeah, The Citadel Financial Aid Office isn't winning any awards from 3-year scholarship winners this spring. As I told them flat out, I totally get it. Life isn't fair. You can do whatever you want to do. And we aren't entitled to anything. That said, if you put yourself in our shoes as parents of a prospective student, it's a pretty hard pill to swallow when you say we paid 100 percent tuition and room and board for ALL the 3-year scholarship winners who came here in the fall of 2022 and fall of 2023, but we're going to charge you 100 percent of in-state tuition and more than half of room and board.

 

[WashCGA]

My DS is headed to Baylor in the fall as an AROTC 4 year winner. It's like Vandy in the sense that it's insanely expensive but they do a good job with merit and institutional aid money (few students pay sticker price). That said, they don't have a formal R&B scholarship. The ROO told me most scholarship cadets use whatever aid they get from the university to cover those expenses. My DS was awarded $10k in merit scholarship and $17k in institutional grant money. That's more than enough to cover the expenses not covered by the ROTC scholarship BUT, there's a caveat on that $17k of grant money that goes something like "In some cases the receipt of additional outside aid can alter the amount of institutional grant money awarded." I was told that never happens with ROTC but it's causing me more than a little anxiety.

 

[pa-outdoorsman]

My DS is headed to Baylor in the fall as an AROTC 4 year winner. It's like Vandy in the sense that it's insanely expensive but they do a good job with merit and institutional aid money (few students pay sticker price). That said, they don't have a formal R&B scholarship. The ROO told me most scholarship cadets use whatever aid they get from the university to cover those expenses. My DS was awarded $10k in merit scholarship and $17k in institutional grant money. That's more than enough to cover the expenses not covered by the ROTC scholarship BUT, there's a caveat on that $17k of grant money that goes something like "In some cases the receipt of additional outside aid can alter the amount of institutional grant money awarded." I was told that never happens with ROTC but it's causing me more than a little anxiety.

Well, I'd certainly get on the phone with a financial aid counselor and ask for a written confirmation that your DS's allotted scholarship and grant monies can be applied toward room and board expenses. If so, great. If not, that's something you need to know sooner than later.

Good luck!

 

[GrilledCheese94]

As youngsters at USNA, my roommates and I were willing volunteers to take a room on "Goat Court" when our classmates actively spurned it.
Later, they realized that we had the only "double sized" room in the company so we had lots of room even with 3 people.

Spent plebe summer overlooking Goat Court on 4-4...fortunately, our mattresses survived the summer without incident...IYKYK

 

[banjoppd]

Our experience with Norwich has been good. Our son will be a MS4. NU has covered room and board all 4 years. It always reflected on his tuition statement. Son contracted in October of freshman year. Cadet Command was slow to pay that first year but NU never put any pressure on him about past due bills knowing CC was good to pay. Process has changed with cadet submitting tuition payment and process seems it has been streamlined. In the 3 years only fee I have had to cover was his Corps uniform fee of 1,200.00 NU needed it up front. CC didn’t pay for anything prior to contracting. Opting for ROTC to pay tuition is best option for NU or most universities.

 

[Milarmymarinelady]

Our experience with Norwich has been good. Our son will be a MS4. NU has covered room and board all 4 years. It always reflected on his tuition statement. Son contracted in October of freshman year. Cadet Command was slow to pay that first year but NU never put any pressure on him about past due bills knowing CC was good to pay. Process has changed with cadet submitting tuition payment and process seems it has been streamlined. In the 3 years only fee I have had to cover was his Corps uniform fee of 1,200.00 NU needed it up front. CC didn’t pay for anything prior to contracting. Opting for ROTC to pay tuition is best option for NU or most universities.

My son’s scholarship should be activated this fall (as long as all goes well) at NU. Do I pay tuition until it comes through?

 

[BJD16]

The rumor mill stirs because people walk on as College Programmers and expect a university to give them the benefit as if they were on scholarship. CP will not trip the benefit wire at most colleges.

College Programmers might earn the OOS tuition differential at many public universities.

 

[pa-outdoorsman]

College Programmers might earn the OOS tuition differential at many public universities.

Typically only once they've earned a campus-based scholarship, but that may differ on a school to school basis. Again, only way to be sure is to speak with financial aid and bursar's office at your school.

 

[banjoppd]

My son’s scholarship should be activated this fall (as long as all goes well) at NU. Do I pay tuition until it comes through?

No don’t pay tuition. The billing statement should reflect AROTC Scholarship and ID White
Scholarship. Email Bursar office and call to make sure they are tracking your rook is a rotc scholarship awardee.
Make sure your rook shows up at school ready to pass PT test. He won’t contract until he passes army PT test. My son’s year, him and only one other rook contracted parents weekend because everyone else with an army scholarship “no go” on PT test. As soon as they contract they get stipend and sets the wheels in motion to pay tuition.

 

[Milarmymarinelady]

No don’t pay tuition. The billing statement should reflect AROTC Scholarship and ID White
Scholarship. Email Bursar office and call to make sure they are tracking your rook is a rotc scholarship awardee.
Make sure your rook shows up at school ready to pass PT test. He won’t contract until he passes army PT test. My son’s year, him and only one other rook contracted parents weekend because everyone else with an army scholarship “no go” on PT test. As soon as they contract they get stipend and sets the wheels in motion to pay tuition.

Thank you!