ROTC accept or decline?
- Thread starter civic29
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Hold on to it. You never know what could happen between now and R-day (unfortunately injuries aren't always avoidable). Having a back up plan is wise. When you get closer to R-day you can release the scholarship and the money can still be used on others!
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If I got hurt would I get an LOA the next cycle?
2019 WestPoint class appointee
Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
845something
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Possibly, but not guaranteed. Depends on how strong a candidate you are in your: district, state, nation.
What is the promise you are making to the college you are supposed to use your ROTC scholarship at when you send in your deposit to hold a slot for you?
USMAROTCFamily
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We've been mulling over this whole "back up" school idea. We've been thinking that it will need to be one not tied to his ROTC scholarship, for a couple of reasons: 1) If he reports to an Academy, isn't the ROTC Scholarship voided? 2) If he gets injured before reporting to the academy, then he wouldn't be medically fit to past the PFT for ROTC, either. 3) The ROTC scholarship schools he selected are all private, expensive schools that we don't want to have to pay for without the ROTC scholarship. So, instead, we are thinking of going with a school that he has received full tuition merit scholarships to, knowing if he has a major injury before or after reporting to the academy, that he will still have a university option, rather than community college. Any other thoughts on this?
Very hard decision, I think I will just hold onto the scholarship in case of the worst. In the end I guess I did earn it and I would be foolish to give it up for someone else.
2019 WestPoint class appointee
Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
2019 WestPoint class appointee
Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
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- 15,994
The promise you made by sending the money is that your are willing to forego the money if you do not show up on the first day of classes. Some colleges will return it if you notify them when you report and tell them why you will not be attending, but don't count on it.
There is always that guy, usually older that says "I would have been a pro ____ had I not got injured" or "____ happened so I couldn't go to _____ university. I don't want to ever be thy guy that would say " I was going to go to West Point but I got hurt" definitely something to worry about. I'll try to stick to safe exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, an running vs playing basketball. I don't want to be the appointee that you hear the stories about.
2019 WestPoint class appointee
Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
2019 WestPoint class appointee
Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2010
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- 15,994
That's one approach. However, I think it's a stretch to assume that if he is injured prior to reporting that he wouldn't be ready for the PFT in late August or September. First it depends on the nature of the injury. It might be a bad sprain getting off the bus that won't heal in time to report yet will be healed in plenty of time for ROTC. With the extra time before reporting to ROTC even a more significant injury may be healed. Finally, they have until the end of the first semester to pass their ROTC PFT.
If it were me, and I had the resources, I'd be making a deposit at both a ROTC school and the private with the full scholarship. YMMV.
I disagree. The deposit represents a token that you will attend the school.
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Aren't we saying the same thing? Guess I focused more on consequences assuming that's what the poster was really after.
Yes and no. You focused on a tangiable consequence. I am focusing on an untangiable consequence. I don't think the poster keeping the ROTC scholarship and a spot at the college are depriving another person of ROTC scholarship or college accpetance. I am more concerned about right or wrong and I think there is no absolute right or wrong in this situation. This situation being right or wrong depends on values held by each individual.
Just trying to get the poster to think just beyond tangiable consequences.
"USMAROTCFamily 3) The ROTC scholarship schools he selected are all private, expensive schools that we don't want to have to pay for without the ROTC scholarship. So, instead, we are thinking of going with a school that he has received full tuition merit scholarships to, knowing if he has a major injury before or after reporting to the academy, that he will still have a university option, rather than community college. Any other thoughts on this?[/QUOTE]
Very interesting thread. Like USMAROTC son probably not able to afford 1st choice ROTC school if no scholarship. What if DODMERB issues arise. If serious remedial or DQ he may not get DODMERB clearance until after May 1st. Or may never be cleared. To protect scholarship he will have paid depost at 1st choice school (understanding if he cannot afford to attend the school, loses deposit). Option B with DQ he can stay home and do community college. Plan C deposit at 2nd choice school he can afford without scholarship, understanding he may lose deposit if physically approved for ROTC at scholarship school. Son is very black and white, but should he be penalized for being high achiever to get ROTC scholarship but DQd for physial problem out of his control? I do not think son or Civic29 are trying to game anyone, they are trying to protect their futures with viable options. Maybe they can consider full disclosure to each school. Not sure.
ca2midwestmom
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Like you, my DS received his WP appointment in January last year, then within a week received a AROTC scholarship on the 2nd board. He accepted both and was still waiting to hear from USNA. Before R-Day he notified the ROO (?) and admissions at the college of his decision to attend WP (he also had a merit scholarship that would have covered the out-of-state room & board). We did not put down a deposit because expenses were tight, but it was discussed and considered. I think it is an individual decision and certainly not black & white.
Since then we've received at least one phone call from the college ROTC unit (apparently the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing) and multiple phone calls from Army recruiter(s), who had it noted that my DS was considering WP months earlier. I finally answered the recruiter's call and asked him to take my DS off his list.
GoBlue1984
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This comes up every year. I don't agree that an injury making reporting to BEAST unavailable, does not mean the APFT can't be passed for ROTC in the fall. I believe that a 4Y ROTC scholarship recipient must pass before end of September but it might be they have until the end of the semester. However I do not think that an ROTC scholarship is activated with all the related benefits until the APFT is passed.
An ROTC scholarship is never lost to the brigade. They are often turned into 3.5Y scholarships for students who wanted ROTC but did not get selected by the board. There are some selective universities where scholarships go unfilled. That is because although they are awarded to individuals, they are tied to the university unless permission is granted to transfer it. My DS received an email after fall semester started (while he was at the academy and ROTC had been notified he was not accepting) indicating that scholarships were available if he was at the university and still wanted to pursue ROTC.
As for deposits, I agree you are indicating intention of attending the school by making them however they are not obligatory. A lot of students will make a deposit to hold their place and then never show up on campus - with and without ROTC in the picture. So I do not feel that failing to attend after making a deposit is an honor issue. My older daughter even had a school return her housing deposit made in February to get an honors dorm, when she decided that she wanted to go to a different school in April and even though it was called a "non-refundable" deposit.
With SA's you have to look at an appointment as a Plan A while keeping Plan B and Plan C open. Only you know what your proper Plan B and Plan C are.
An ROTC scholarship is never lost to the brigade. They are often turned into 3.5Y scholarships for students who wanted ROTC but did not get selected by the board. There are some selective universities where scholarships go unfilled. That is because although they are awarded to individuals, they are tied to the university unless permission is granted to transfer it. My DS received an email after fall semester started (while he was at the academy and ROTC had been notified he was not accepting) indicating that scholarships were available if he was at the university and still wanted to pursue ROTC.
As for deposits, I agree you are indicating intention of attending the school by making them however they are not obligatory. A lot of students will make a deposit to hold their place and then never show up on campus - with and without ROTC in the picture. So I do not feel that failing to attend after making a deposit is an honor issue. My older daughter even had a school return her housing deposit made in February to get an honors dorm, when she decided that she wanted to go to a different school in April and even though it was called a "non-refundable" deposit.
With SA's you have to look at an appointment as a Plan A while keeping Plan B and Plan C open. Only you know what your proper Plan B and Plan C are.
USMAROTCFamily
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We're thinking that DS may request a transfer of his ROTC scholarship to his "backup" school. This way, if something really horrible happens and he is no longer medically qualified for the military, he'll still be able to use his full tuition merit scholarship at the school. If he only has a temporary injury that prohibits him for beginning, or continuing, his basic after reporting to the Academy, but is a minor issue that would heal soon, then he can use the ROTC scholarship there to cover the room and board at his backup school and still use the merit scholarships for the tuition.
-Bull-
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ROTC will reallocate the scholarship once you finally decline it. They base their scholarships off of their allotted mission of how many LT's they need to commission each year, just like USMA. That mission doesn't change because you hold onto your scholarship until R-Day. Some parents here have gotten upset in the past because they feel you are hurting their kids chances, and you'll have to decide the right and wrong (as MemberLG pointed out), but in the end, the scholarship will end up in someone else's hands.
Holding onto it until R Day is smart on your part, if you are injured and not able to report to USMA, you will still be able to use the ROTC scholarship because you only need to pass the APFT (and be qualified in the other areas) at some point during your first semester. Granted, you won't collect benefits until then, but if you are injured, you'll have an extra 6 or so months to heal and still be able to use the scholarship.
The only thing I would suggest, regardless of what you choose to do, let the other know you're intentions when you get to the point of declining one or the other. Don't keep the ROTC scholarship, report to USMA, and never tell the school you had the scholarship to what you've chosen to do. Simply out of respect, don't burn bridges you may need to cross later on.
Holding onto it until R Day is smart on your part, if you are injured and not able to report to USMA, you will still be able to use the ROTC scholarship because you only need to pass the APFT (and be qualified in the other areas) at some point during your first semester. Granted, you won't collect benefits until then, but if you are injured, you'll have an extra 6 or so months to heal and still be able to use the scholarship.
The only thing I would suggest, regardless of what you choose to do, let the other know you're intentions when you get to the point of declining one or the other. Don't keep the ROTC scholarship, report to USMA, and never tell the school you had the scholarship to what you've chosen to do. Simply out of respect, don't burn bridges you may need to cross later on.