Downsides of being a non-scholarship cadet?

[hasannadeem47]

Unfortunately I was unable to apply for the National Army ROTC Scholarship due to problems with my parents disapproving of me joining ROTC. I still plan on walking on to the AROTC program at Penn State (main campus) next year and I was just wondering what the cons of being a non-scholarship cadet are? I assume most cadets are scholarship winners, so do non-scholarship cadets still get ACU's and PT gear and stuff? Are they allowed to participate in all FTX and Labs? I plan on fully committing myself to working towards a commission which is my ultimate goal, but I'm worried that because I'm coming in without a scholarship I won't get the same opportunities and stuff.
Anyone have experience with being a non-scholarship cadet or just with Penn State AROTC in general? Thanks

 

[Kronk]

Go ahead and look at some older threads. You'll find that the majority of the cadets are non-scholarship. You'll also see that what non-scholarship cadets get issued is totally battalion (school) dependent.
As for participation, you will be able to participate in the vast majority of events and the ones you can't you will not be docked points for. These will probably be few and far between, if any. The nature of these events would be along the lines of like riding in helicopters and other activities deemed very high risk/require a security clearance for.

 

[k2rider]

Great post by Bondo. While the competition will be stiff at a larger ROTC unit like Penn State, the best advice I could give you is go in fully committed, be in the best shape of your life so you can blow the Fitness Test out of the water and get good grades your 1st semester. Arrive early and just as long as it doesn't create a hardship with your studying time, volunteer for whatever you can within the unit. You want to stand out above the rest to increase your chances of getting a scholarship. My son was his schools Gold bar recruiter for (4) months after graduating this past May and was in charge of processing those upgraded scholarships. I can tell you that nearly every "walk on" that did all the above at his school was given a 3 year scholarship this Summer.

You asked about downsides so I'll just throw out *MY* opinion and the only one that stands out to me, at least at my son's college, was non-scholarship cadets not being issued ACU's and PT gear. I think that was a poor decision and should be overturned. In the past, everybody was in ACU's and nobody "stood out" or "above" the rest. That's no longer the case. Hopefully, the policy gets changed sooner rather than later.

 

[AROTC-dad]

+1 K2. I agree about the "2nd class" treatment of non-contract cadets is lame. But it does motivate them to earn the contract!

My DS was a "walk-on" at a large flagship state U, after being TWE'd at USNA and turned down for NROTC/MO. He busted his rear for the first three months and earned a 3 year campus based scholarship (later extended to 3 1/2 years). Battalion is not as large as PSU (about 115), but he now ranks in the top 15% on the Battalion OML.

The main keys for him were grades grades grades and then APFT plus AROTC participation.

This can be done if you put the effort in.

 

[nofodad]

One variable out of your control is the total number of campus based scholarships. Thompson was a poster here who was part of that battalion he may have some insight. I would hope that a larger battalion like PSU would have plenty. Good luck! Show up in shape and crush that first quarter grade-wise that's how my son got a 4 year.