We are from Northern Virginia, and my son wanted to enlist in the military right out of high school. I told him he really needed a college education, so a military school was a compromise for us.
He was VMI all the way. We visited the campus 3-4 times and met with recruiters. They told us it would be very difficult for him to receive a scholarship there. They also told us the Army had all the money.
A week before my son's senior high school year was to begin we visited VMI to get a feel for it while school was in session. He also decided he wanted to visit NGCSU, just to make sure he was making the right decision. After our visit to VMI we continued drivign another 10 hours to Georgia. We met with Cadet Recruitment and everything turned around for us. My son loved the campus. They were also pretty much throwing money at us. As a cadet at NGC, no matter what state you are from, you receive IN STATE TUITION!!! For us that meant it was cheaper for him to go to NGC than to any Virginia public college! He also received a 4-year school based scholarship. I am paying for the tuition and Uncle Sam is paying for room and board, books, and uniforms, and giving him a monthly salary!!! My son will graduate from college with NO student loans!!!!
NGCSU is bit bigger than VMI, but it was also more military/civilian. What I mean by that is that you not only get the military lifestyle, but you have classes with civilians, you can have meals with them, date them, socialize with them, so it's the best of both worlds. At VMI, first years aren't allowed off campus until Thanksgiving. At NGC they have once closed weekend a month that is mandatory to stay, but other times (even during the weeks) they are allowed to do as they please.
The one major thing that was important that NGC had over VMI was the amount of major. I believe VMI has 12 and NGC has over 30. My son was going to study international relations at VMI, but now he has chosen criminal justice at NGC (and they are well known for that, nursing, and business).
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or PM me. I love NGC, and love telling people about it.
Hi, I had a quick question, did your Son get any scholarships from UNG (outside from the ROTC scholarship). My son got a 3 YR ROTC scholarship, but the other schools (VMI & Citadel) said they would not give out any additional money to students with ROTC scholarships and that the ROTC scholarship could only be used towards tuition and NOT room and board.
Thank you for your response.
Given this is an older thread with a new question, I’ll try to help out. First, North Georgia is an outstanding school, and from what I’m told, they provide great in-state scholarships to anyone wanting to be in army ROTC. UNG also has highly capable Army officer graduates. UNG has a mix of cadets and non-cadets, but cadets live in a military styled environment most of the time. Interesting note, University of North Georgia also typically has one of the best US Army Ranger Challenge teams in the entire USA. If your goal is to be a United States Army officer, then University of North Georgia is definitely worth a visit. I would also add that if you’re considering any of these three schools nothing beats visiting in person!
Regarding the other 2 schools:
The Citadel today has a mix of cadet and non-cadet degree options. However, it is still a military-school environment in many ways, and cadet interaction with non-cadets is limited. They also have loyal alumni and many degree options for cadets, one of which is a new nursing program. They also have a cyber degree, which is highly regarded.
VMI is a traditional, small, military college. All students are cadets and live the military program 24-7. They’ve graduated more Army Generals than any ROTC program in the US, but it’s a very spartan environment and not for everyone. Classes are small, majors limited. Engineering is tough and several VMI alums have been Commanding Generals of US Army Corps of Engineers. In US News, VMI ranks in same category as the Service Academies.
Something else worth mentioning, if you’re interested in these three schools it may be worth your while to visit Norwich University. Norwich has strong academic programs, very loyal alumni, and commissioning options for all military service branches.
Hope that helps.
Our DS is a 2nd year at UNG (chose over VMI, which I did not agree with at the time) and our DD is a first year at VA Tech (VT), both on Army ROTC scholarships (DS 3 year, DD 4 year). I'll reinforce Landy91's comments about UNG. Our son and we parents think it is fantastic and it is close to home. More on both schools below.
On scholarships, both DS and DD received multiple scholarship support beyond the ARMY ROTC scholarship. Our son also gets the GA Hope scholarship paying for tuition and then ROTC supporting room and board, so our costs are next to nothing, AND they get $210 bi-weekly and all uniforms and books paid. DD went very deep (last week of April) last year in USMA's process before the bad news, and chose VT because she is an engineering major and they are top 15 in the country. Also, she wanted a senior military college to prep her for a second shot at a USMA appointment which she is doing. In addition to the ROTC scholarship she received another substantial academic scholarship from VT covering some of the room and board. She turned down an offer from UGA where she would have made money to go to school with the in-state Zell Miller + ARMY ROTC. So my point is, yes, multiple scholarships beyond ROTC are not only possible but common.
I hope my commentary below helps some out there that are considering this path.
There has been much written about the senior military colleges on this thread, both accurate and inaccurate.
One is the perception that they are weaker, not as rigorous. That has not been our experience.
Our kids chose senior military colleges on their own, not because of us parents wanting them to. That is super important, because you need to be committed because 4 years of a senior military college is not for everyone. It is challenging regardless of the school.
So here are some guiding questions in the decision I recommend asking:
#1 Question: (and we did not ask it) - What is the % of cadets that graduate? I can tell you the drop out rate of cadets at some schools is high. Get the demographics of graduation rates by branch too. There is a certain ROTC branch (I will not name it) of the Corps at one of these schools that has never graduated a woman. Could be important if your DD is on a scholarship for that branch.
#2 Question: Are all cadets from one service branch (like UNG-Army) or multiple (like VT, VMI, A&M)? So then the ROTC department is like an academic department and totally separated from the Corps leadership. I think this matters in the interaction between the cadets and how the Corps is run.
#3 Question: When in the first year do cadets turn? UNG and others are after the first semester, others like VT are after the second. I say this because the first year is a grind, and turning after first semester makes life easier. The objective is to break you down and then build you up. I think many parents will say they got calls in the first semester from their kid really questioning their decision on this path, but then you see them grind through it and come out stronger mentally and physically. They learn to "embrace the suck." It is an important advantage of a senior military college. But also not for everyone.
#4 Question: And you have to answer honestly. It matters more for a senior military college, I believe. How far from home do you want to be? Our DS benefited greatly from being able to drive home for a weekend and sleep in a normal bed, get a family dinner, and he still likes that. Our DD could not wait to get away from home (3 brothers!, joking) but found she misses home more than she thought, and cannot just pop home (6 hours away). That does get easier with time.
#5 Question: What do you want to major in? What % of the cadets graduate as STEM majors? Being in the Corps is time intensive. If you are a STEM major this also is intensive. And that can conflict especially at the bigger senior military colleges (VT, A&M) where the objective of the first year is to weed out 30-40% of the engineering majors. Smaller schools and even the Academies are less about weeding out and more about helping you succeed.
#6 Question: Are cadets roomed in doubles or triples? 3 to a small room can make it stressful for anyone, and often can end up with dynamics between the roommates. Sometimes they all are buds and that is great, but it can go both ways. Doubles often are easier.
Final Point: Have your DS/DD do overnights at the schools being considered. Ask tons of questions, and one being how the Cadre interact with the freshman and how much the Corps leadership is directly involved overseeing the Cadre.
As I said above UNG is just an outstanding senior military college and graduates Army officers that are extremely competent. Also important is they are regular guys/ladies that are grounded and mix in well with the enlisted they will lead. The training is top notch (Army mountain Ranger school also in Dahlonega), intensive/"high speed", and if you do Ranger Challenge, Order of Columbo, or Aggressors, even more so. The facilities are brand new with great dorms (2 to a room, and a bathroom per 2 room suite). The Corps leadership is involved, supportive, and very experienced. And our DS enjoys having the interaction with the non-cadets, is in a fraternity, and his girlfriend goes there. Cadets "turn" after the first semester and get to be more like normal students. Like other senior military colleges, they have some great summer programs. Our son will go to Germany this summer. The school is about 6000-7000 students in the GA mountains with an awesome town and safe, but is limited in what is around it, and the food at "chow" is just bad. Overall it was the perfect choice for our DS.
VT is also super impressive, but different in many ways. I honestly thought the Corps there would be less intense than UNG, let me assure you they are NOT. The campus and town are fantastic, we like the whole "Hokie" thing, and academics are some of the top in the nation. Obviously VT is MUCH bigger and all the things that go with that, if you are into Div 1 sports, etc. Food is ranked #1 in the country, it is impressive,but a long hike from the Cadet dorms. The ARMY ROTC department is the greatest group of people you'll ever meet. They really care for their cadets. Can't speak for the other ROTC departments. The Corps has all of the branches represented including Civilian as Leader so that presents its own flavor and makes the VT Corps much bigger than UNG. I personally think the Corps as 1 branch is better because the Cadre can be monitored better and more consistently (IMO), but it works at VT and others. They PT by ROTC branch, not by Corps company, and some are harder and earlier in the morning than others. Band part of the Corps is a big deal at VT, if you are into band and makes for a lot of Corps spirit. Cadets turn after the end of Spring semester (going through Red/White/Blue phases 1st year), and I will not lie, it is a grind and rigid. We have seen our DD cover the full spectrum from the phone call in the Fall questioning here decision to go there, to now after scaling that mountain and realizing she made it through, she said "this was the best decision I could have made because it has prepared me better than anywhere else." Similarly to UNG and others, VT has Ranger Challenge, etc, and even one Battalion led by a former Seal who does "Seal Prep Course", so it can be as "high speed" as you can take. The Corps dorms are new and look great, but have common bathrooms per floor (old school syle). Maybe a bigger deal for DD's than DS's. VT Corps is over capacity right now with triples and even some upper classmen living in common areas, so they need to get that under control, and perhaps leads to trying to weed out some weak cadets. DD had a few company buds quit already. So overall it has given our DD what she was looking for.
Hope this helps.
