Ike Skelton Scholarship

[herdman]

If a person is awarded and accepts the Ike Skelton scholarship would that limit their ability to compete for active duty. I have read/heard that getting assigned the GRFD control number will flag you and limit or restrict the ability to go active duty. However, the scholarship states that you can request to compete for active duty after the completion of your 4 year degree program.

Would that request to compete for active duty be realistic? Or, once you take the scholarship and are assigned the GRFD control then, odds are they are not going to release you for active duty?

Our child has been offered this scholarship but would like the chance to compete for active duty down the road. We all know that active duty slots are harder and harder to get with cutbacks and down sizing.

We are trying to reach the best conclusion even if it cost more money up front but gives them the chance to at least stand a shot at active duty.

Thanks for any help or guidance.

 

[QA1517]

Is your cadet an ECP cadet?

There is a chance (at least on paper) that the control number could be revoked, however, it is an unknown what the chances actually are. Some depends on the state you are in and some depends on if other scholarships/grfd money is tied in.

Clarkson stated that as of 6 months ago cadets are no longer able to switch their traditional ROTC scholarships to GRFD scholarships if they knew they wanted guard because the guard says cadet command doesn't have that authority. Seems as though that with some other things I have read that big army and guard are having some squabbling going on due to funding and cutbacks, so everyone is a little possessive.

My advice would be that if you want to compete for active duty do not accept any GRFD money or be assigned a control number.

2 yrs ago when DS accepted his ECP scholarship it was common for those cadets to have there grfd numbers revoked to compete for active duty. This year, very few were allowed to compete. They have to obtain there PMS recommendation, cadet command approval, and approval from the secretary of the Army. So regardless of the cadets standings or accomplishments they are at the mercy of a lot of things out of their control.

 

[herdman]

Yes, ECP cadet. They state in their letter that you will have the opportunity to compete for active duty at your 4 year school during your Accessions window.

It is hard to look at scholarship money and turn it down. But, if the GRFD number locks you in then the money might not be worth it. Of course, with active duty slots being limited one might look back in 4 years and wish they had taken the money if they are going to be reserve or national guard anyway. It is like rolling the dice.

It is labeled as a 2 year Ike Skelton scholarship. It is not labeled as a 2 year GRFD-ARNG/USAR scholarship.

 

[QA1517]

In reality they need to update the information about this program, although also in reality evrything is changing so fast it would be hard to keep things updated.

Do not confuse the Ike Skelton Scholarship with the Early Commission Scholarship!!!!

If you receive an ECP Scholarship you have to do SMP. This year and last year you had to request for your control number to be revoked prior to being commissioned at your current JMC. You used to do this at the following on school, and the PMS of that program recommended you but that is one of the changes. Therefore the actual Ike Skelton Scholarship, which is also called the Educational Assistance Program (which is not the ECP scholarship) is not tied to your control number. Your request used to go to cadet command and they approved or denied it. Now it starts with your JMC PMS approval, then goes to cadet command then to the secretary of the army which has the final say.

If you are not an ECP scholarship but do the ECP program then you are not required to do SMP and therefore you do not have a control number, but I do not know if you are eligible for the Ike Skelton money. But once you commission you would have to join the guard or reserves to serve until your degree is completed and would be issued a control number then, thereby you would not have the chance to ask for it to be revoked since it has to be done prior to commissioning. (catch 22)

Also, for every year you use the actual Ike Skelton scholarship (2 maximum) you are required to serve an additional year of service. Very few places state this until you actually sign for it. That means if you are an ECP scholarship and use the Ike Skelton at your follow up school, you will drill for 2yrs while completing your degree and 8 yrs of service after that (2 of which can be done in the IRR)

The JMC's will tell you it is possible to request to compete for active duty, which it is, but it is changing rapidly every year and with the army still reducing troop numbers and the unknown budget ahead and orders from cadet command to SMC's and JMC's to produce quality guard/reserve officers and not produce AD officers beyond their quota's the odds are against that request being approved. Let me clarify by saying that as of THIS year it was not impossible, but greatly reduced from previous years.

 

[herdman]

This scholarship is labeled as an Army ROTC 2-Year Ike Skelton(MJ) Reserve Forces Duty (MJCGEN) Scholarship.

On the GRFD selection the box 2-Year Ike Skelton Scholarship is selected. It states that you are required to participate as a drilling member of a USAR Or ARNG while attend the junior college and the college after. The letter also states that you can compete for active duty at your follow on 4 year college during the accessions window. It also states that prior to your first contracted term you must identify a Reserve or National Guard unit to be come a drilling member during your time with ROTC. Then again, it states you have the option to compete for active duty.


This is kind of confusing...

 

[QA1517]

That is the ECP scholarship offer. You will do SMP while at the junior military college and you will be assigned a control number. They have changed the rules though and as stated above you now request for your number to be revoked prior to being commissioned. IF revoked you attend your follow on school and will compete for active duty with your grade year, meaning you would find out the fall of your senior year whether or not you got active duty or reserves.

The cadets that use the ecp scholarship you mention are eligible to also use the Educational Assistance Program at their follow up school to help pay for tuition or room and board as well as using your states guard tuition assistance because they will be a 2nd LT in the guard or reserves until they get their degree. It's a perk of the ECP program.

My DS just commissioned thru this program, I have discovered in the past 2 years that not much is known about the program even by the people that sell it and nor by the cadres at the JMC's. Also the rules have changed in the past 2 yrs and will continue to do so. It is basically a program to keep the JMC's open (my opinion).

If you want a 100% chance of being able to compete for active duty, do not use this program. If you are willing to serve in the reserves with a UNKNOWN POSSIBILITY of competing for active duty then use it. It's not for everyone and there are drawbacks that must be worked thru.

It was originally designed to crank out 2nd lt's for Vietnam then evolved into a commissioning source for the National Guard and Reserves. Since 2000 or so the cadets from this program were typically allowed to compete for active duty because of the need for more officers again. That need has gone away due to draw downs and budget and therefore it is my feeling based upon happenings and directions coming down from cadet command that the program will go back to being primarily a source for the reserves again.

I do not think they will never come out and say you cannot request to have your control number revoked, it would be a big blow to the JMC's, and they may even revoke a few each year to say yes it happens. I know kids enlisted into the reserves that are still told by their recruiters they can switch to active duty if they want (the chances of that happening are way slim). It's kind of the same.

I know what the numbers were at DS's school this year and about 20-25% of those that requested got their numbers revoked, and the reasoning behind those that did compared to those that didn't did not make sense other than the directive from CC to put quality officers into the guard. I do not know the numbers from the other JMC's.

Talk to the ROO face to face and make them answer your questions with good hard numbers. If they can't, I would look elsewhere. And as stated above, if you want a 100% chance of being able to compete for active duty, do not use this program.

Good Luck to you and I hope everything works out.