You will be reimbursed for the expenses of your initial travel to your assigned NROTC Unit as it is considered official travel.
New scholarship students will only get a reimbursement for their air travel to school in the fall, or a reimbursement for the mileage driven if traveling by car. Hotels, meals, etc. are not covered. Don't go crazy on the airline tickets- NROTC is not going to reimburse first class tickets or anything of that nature!
Can you cite a reference? I suspect "Don't go crazy" doesn't appear in any government instruction for travel. Are you suggesting that they won't be reimbursed more than the government rate (https://cpsearch.fas.gsa.gov/)? are you suggesting they book travel through SATO (...I never did this as M/N)?