What does the paperwork say? I currently live on campus, but when discussing off campus with HR, this is what I was told. Next time I'm free, I'll stop by and talk to her.
I have the paperwork out and it states that you receive an average, they do not simply give you $5,000 and say here you go.
I just hung up with the HR person at my son's school and confirmed what was on the ROTC paperwork that was signed upon accepting the scholarship at the school. She told me that they give you the average between the highest and the lowest price dorm on campus for Room and the average between the highest and lowest price meal plan on campus for Board. The exact amount seems to be school or area specific.
If you are at a school where the dorm and meal plans are more expensive, then maybe you just get the $5,000 because that is the average or less than the average.
These numbers are specific for my son's school as it's their average, but for the 2010-2011 school year, the ROTC Scholarship cadets living off campus were paid per semester:
$2,381 for Room
$1,876.80 for Board
You are allowed to purchase any meal plan you wish on campus even if you don't live on campus and then they will reimburse for that.
She also said that the amount goes up SLIGHTLY each school year due to the price raises that you will see.
My son chose the cheapest dorm on campus this year as most freshman were there. He also chose the most expensive meal plan because he could. They reimbursed him $2209 for Room and $2089 for Board per semester. If you think about it this way, he is actually spending $40 less per month than next semester.