Most of the guys interested in going Coast Guard at VMI take NROTC, but if they aren't contracted with the Navy, they don't have to participate in all of the NROTC training. But once you sign a contract (scholarship or otherwise), you're pretty well committed. They've also been known to coordinate and plan their own Field Training Exercises (FTXs) for the fall and spring FTX weekends. I'm sure you would be able to do something similar regardless of which SMC you go to.
For more information about commissioning in the Coast Guard from VMI, contact LTC Gary Bissell: BissellGA (at) vmi.edu. He usually coordinates with the Coast Guard recruiters to get them to visit Post once or twice a semester. If he can't answer your questions for you, he can get you in touch with the local recruiters. They have a very nice program that involves training and making money while in school. I'm fairly confident they offer scholarships too, but I can't guarantee it.