Will National Guard help chances of scholarship?

[Callmewojo]

I'm 17 and thinking of signing up for the National Guard in order to help pay for college, and I was wondering if it would have any impact on an ROTC scholarship. Do they consider that to be a factor in their selection or does it hold no weight?

 

[Jcleppe]

In a way yes, because if you join the National Guard you Can Not apply for the National ROTC Scholarship or compete for a Battalion Scholarship once on campus.

The only Scholarship you can apply for is the GRFD, which if you get requires you to remain in the Reserves/National Guard when you commission, you would not be allowed to compete for Active Duty if you accept the GRFD Scholarship.

If you apply for the National ROTC Scholarship, join the Guard, you may be able to get a release from the Guard if you are awarded a Scholarship, you can't do both unless it's a GRFD Scholarship.

You really need to talk to a Recruiting Officer at an Army ROTC Battalion before you sign anything with the Guard. Do Not go by just what your local recruiter tells you, their job is to get you to enlist, they do not know all the in's and out's of the ROTC program and it has and is changing a lot right now so make sure you talk with a ROTC Battalion before you do anything. Research the ROTC SMP Program fully before you sign anything. The SMP program is changing as well, if your interested in Active Duty at all, do more research.

 

[clarksonarmy]

In a way yes, because if you join the National Guard you Can Not apply for the National ROTC Scholarship or compete for a Battalion Scholarship once on campus.

Not sure if I'm reading this correctly.... You can apply for a national scholarship even if you are in the guard or reserves and you can compete for a campus based scholarship, it's just going to take getting released from your enlistment if you are offered a 4 or 3.5 year scholarship.

The big question someone in your situation needs to think about is whether you want to consider active duty or not. In the future there is going to be more of a push to lock Cadets into the Guard or Reserves earlier in the process. The GRFD is going to be one way this happens and there is even going to be more emphasis on the non scholarship GRFD option. If you want to be considered for active duty when you graduate be very careful about the SMP program and GRFD options.

Talk to a ROO for sure!!