Army ROTC for Graduate Student - Scholarship

Rycast

New Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
4
Hey everyone, I've applied to an out-of-state college and am considering doing Army ROTC while getting my 2-year master's degree.

The Army recruiter said that they could send me to basic camp this summer and I could get a 2-year scholarship that would cover my out-of-state tuition for the first year and the in-state tuition for the second year.

Is he correct in the fact that I can get (or at least compete for) the scholarship and know ahead of time whether or not it will cover my tuition, starting this fall (August 2018)?

I read somewhere on this forum that the deadline for scholarship applications was April 15, but he has made no mention of this. I'm just trying to make sure I have all the facts.

Thank you in advance.
 
Yes, that is the "soft" deadline for scholarships starting in the following Fall. The scholarship situation varies by program, but I find it unlikely that you would get a 2YR scholarship for a Fall18 start. It's possible, but you would have to be submitted for a scholarship right away as well as complete all the basic camp paperwork now, as the due date for all that stuff was in MAR. It's still possible to do now, just that there isn't much time left to get everything done.

Make sure you have an honest conversation with the ROO at your school of choice. He/She can tell you the likelihood of actually getting a scholarship and getting the Basic Camp slot for this Summer.
 
Looks like the guy I'm talking to is the ROO at my school. He seems like a good guy.

He told me, "We can get you a scholarship," but he also said it is unlikely that I would know whether I got it until after basic camp.

He said that he has never seen a person get a basic camp slot, do well there, and then NOT be awarded a scholarship. Does this sound right?

Thanks again.
 
Hmmm.... far be it from me to contradict an ROO. He may be aware of some way to get you that scholarship. Perhaps it's because you already have a Bachelor's degree. While it sounds reasonable on the surface, most cadets commission without a scholarship. They all go to Basic. So being assured of getting a scholarship doesn't seem to fit with simply attending Basic. All cadets though, do contract in order to commission. This entitles them to the stipend, but not tuition. Scholarship cadets also contract but they have the scholarship. Are you sure that perhaps you got confused with contracted vs contracted with a scholarship?

This is just one man's opinion. @MohawkArmyROTC or @clarksonarmy would have far more insight.
 
Looks like the guy I'm talking to is the ROO at my school. He seems like a good guy.

He told me, "We can get you a scholarship," but he also said it is unlikely that I would know whether I got it until after basic camp.

He said that he has never seen a person get a basic camp slot, do well there, and then NOT be awarded a scholarship. Does this sound right?

Thanks again.

Each BDE handles scholarships differently. Some BDE's give scholarship allocations to each school, others manage scholarships at that level. What I can tell you is that Basic Camp scholarships are not awarded by Basic Camp. A scholarship allocation from either your school or BDE is used to give a scholarship to a Basic Camp attendee. From my experience all 2YR scholarship are awarded prior to Basic Camp. I have never seen a 2YR scholarship awarded after Basic Camp completion.

He said that he has never seen a person get a basic camp slot, do well there, and then NOT be awarded a scholarship. Does this sound right?

That does not sound right to me, as that is not how things generally work. In my BDE, all cadets that go to Basic Camp and get a scholarship offer, will actually get the scholarship offer before they attend Basic Camp. Our BDE is quick to extinguish it's scholarship allocations. You can't ask for more money, until you spend what you have. It doesn't make sense that they would hold an allocation until after Basic Camp to figure out who to give it to. Basic Camp success is not always a clear indicator of your future success in ROTC. I would say that GPA and APFT scores are better indicators.

However, things could be done differently in the BDE you will be going to.

Let me know how it works out for you in the Fall and tell me the school, just for my information if that BDE and ROTC BN actually does things that way.
 
Have things changed to now allow the AROTC to be used for grad school? I thought they could only be used for an undergrad degree?
 
@USMAROTCFamily I think its a case of undergrad or grad, but not both. But I'm just surmising here. Since a couple ROOs chimed in on the thread I'm confident getting the Masters is OK, otherwise they would have said something.
 
@USMAROTCFamily I think its a case of undergrad or grad, but not both. But I'm just surmising here. Since a couple ROOs chimed in on the thread I'm confident getting the Masters is OK, otherwise they would have said something.

Yes AROTC can be completed either through undergrad or grad, but you can only be contracted towards one degree.
 
Hey everyone, I've applied to an out-of-state college and am considering doing Army ROTC while getting my 2-year master's degree.

The Army recruiter said that they could send me to basic camp this summer and I could get a 2-year scholarship that would cover my out-of-state tuition for the first year and the in-state tuition for the second year.

Is he correct in the fact that I can get (or at least compete for) the scholarship and know ahead of time whether or not it will cover my tuition, starting this fall (August 2018)?

I read somewhere on this forum that the deadline for scholarship applications was April 15, but he has made no mention of this. I'm just trying to make sure I have all the facts.

Thank you in advance.

Ryan,

It is possible to compete for and earn a 2 year scholarship for graduate school.

If you have no prior service, Basic Camp is best path at this time to earn credit for Advance Course and entry into an Army ROTC program as an MS III.

Timeline is getting short, but it is still possible. I just spoke to a young man with whom I first came into contact yesterday and we are exploring possibilities. If it is a "good fit" we may hustle to do all necessary to make it happen.

Best wishes. If you wish to talk, feel free to call 509-981-1947.
 
According to my ROO, I would be eligible for a scholarship as long as I remain under 31 before contracting. I'm 28 now. So I'd be 30 when I contract.

However, this page indicates I would have to be under 26. Or is this page not referring to the same thing?

https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/college-students/two-year-scholarships.html

Thank you for all the replies.

To get a scholarship you have to commission the year before you turn 31. How old will you be in the year you graduate?
 
I'll be 30 on the year I graduate. I turn 30 on April 15, 2020, and I should graduate in May of 2020.

So it sounds like I will barely scrape by. Story of my life!

What would happen if I were awarded the scholarship but forced to graduate in 2021, for some reason? Just out of curiosity.
 
I'll be 30 on the year I graduate. I turn 30 on April 15, 2020, and I should graduate in May of 2020.

So it sounds like I will barely scrape by. Story of my life!

What would happen if I were awarded the scholarship but forced to graduate in 2021, for some reason? Just out of curiosity.

You would lose the scholarship. You would have to graduate by 12/31/2020.
 
Back
Top