Switching from NROTC-MO to Naval Nurse scholarship

MC Mom

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My daughter was awarded the Marine options scholarship and started nursing school. Her heart was set on being a Marine, but she thought the nursing program would give her a fallback plan if she decided to just complete her required service. She now really likes the nursing program and would like to switch to a Naval Nurse scholarship if possible. Her COs said they have no idea how to do that. Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
Not sure if you'll find any of this helpful, but perhaps it's a start as your daughter works through this.

This link (https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/nursing_only_schools.html) shows the schools that you can attend as part of the Navy Nurse program. Is your daughter at one of these schools? If not, understand that a switch in program will also require a school transfer.

This link (https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/scholarships.html) details the 2- and 3-year scholarship process for Navy or Nurse option applicants. If I understand correctly, your daughter is currently in her freshman year. If so, she'd be applying for a 3-year nurse scholarship.

There is no mechanism to directly convert your Marine Option scholarship into a Nurse Option scholarship.

This is what I don't know: Does your daughter have to walk away from her Marine scholarship in order to apply for the Nurse scholarship? Or could she maintain her status as a Marine Option, apply for the nurse program, and then make a decision based on that outcome? Her current NROTC unit should be able to get the answer.
 
Thank you for your information. She is currently at one of the Navy Nurse schools. Switching to the Nurse scholarship would not lengthen her time for graduation. Her unit says that is a big plus. Other than that, they have so far not given her any information or direction as to how to proceed. I think she is just going to have to keep asking questions.
 
Thank you for your information. She is currently at one of the Navy Nurse schools. Switching to the Nurse scholarship would not lengthen her time for graduation. Her unit says that is a big plus. Other than that, they have so far not given her any information or direction as to how to proceed. I think she is just going to have to keep asking questions.
Great. Hopefully the unit is asking higher headquarters for guidance.

In the meantime....

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/contact.html [General Program Questions - might be worth sending an email to that address asking for guidance].
 
My daughter was awarded the Marine options scholarship and started nursing school. Her heart was set on being a Marine, but she thought the nursing program would give her a fallback plan if she decided to just complete her required service. She now really likes the nursing program and would like to switch to a Naval Nurse scholarship if possible. Her COs said they have no idea how to do that. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Can you tell me if your daughter was able to switch from Marine to Nurse option? My daughter is a current Nursing major on an NROTC Scholarship. She would also like to switch from Navy option to Nurse option but her college says she would have to drop current scholarship and repay the past year of school. Once she enters Nursing School she could then apply for Nurse Option with no guarantees. Do you know if this is correct? Thanks for any informatio!
 
If it's the unit telling her, and not her college, then it MAY, in fact, be correct. Switching Tiers CAN cause a loss of scholarship. Switching from Navy Option to Marine Option CAN cause a loss of scholarship. I know in the latter case one must apply for a MO scholarship to remain on scholarship. I would expect the same for a transfer from MO to Nursing .. but I don't know that as a fact, just my surmise.
 
Can you tell me if your daughter was able to switch from Marine to Nurse option? My daughter is a current Nursing major on an NROTC Scholarship. She would also like to switch from Navy option to Nurse option but her college says she would have to drop current scholarship and repay the past year of school. Once she enters Nursing School she could then apply for Nurse Option with no guarantees. Do you know if this is correct? Thanks for any informatio!
Maybe @GWU PNS (emeritus) can help answer? it's a very specific question since there are not many nurse nrotc to begin with

 
In the process of moving household goods so apologies if this is a bit truncated.

To begin with, MO scholarships are managed by Marine Corps Rexruiting Command (MCRC). To walk from that or decline that scholarship should be coordinated closely with the MOI.

While there is a generally accepted path to shift from "green to blue" and vice versa, the Nurse Corps scholarship is a different animal with VERY few openings each. I think last year there may have been a total of 19....I could be wrong on that. I think this would be a "unicorn" in terms of being able to manage without gapping a year or more of scholarship.

A better option would be to ask about shifting to a standard NROTC scholarship where she would compete for an Unrestricted Line Officer spot. Not sure if there is any interest there but Nursing majors generally come in as Tier 2 which is better than Tier 3.

The challenge is that it's clear to the Marine side of the house she has no desire to be a Marine so they are likely not going to advise much on the process. And if she has no real desire for a URL spot then the Navy side is not going to want to do that much either. While not a perfect analogy, this would be similar to an NROTC Midshipman coming to her advisor and asking for help in shifting to the Air Force.

She could also explore the Nurse Candidate Program but I am out of my knowledge depth on that one.
 
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