AROTC waiver

Cibolo

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May 9, 2019
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With an AROTC 4 year scholarship, does scholarship money wait to be disbursed 1st year until waiver is approved if a waiver is needed? Also what is the approximate time length for a waiver to be approved? Thanks! For the record, single disqualification astigmatism in one eye measuring -3.25. Other eye is passing. Also is this usually waiverable?
 
If the other parts of the eye and vision exams are normal like depth perception and visual acuity, then I think you’ll get that -3.25 astigmatism waivered.
 
Scholarship money is not disbursed until one is contracted. One cannot contract until DoDMERB is complete, including issuing any necessary waivers, and the APFT is successfully completed. There is no fixed schedule for waivers. Each is case by case. I've no doubt they'll try to complete the process prior to disbursement of tuition to the college, which does NOT necessarily mean the start of the semester.
 
Is the waiver process automatically started for AROTC scholarship recipients? I had thought it was but an old sticky thread said it is not the case for AROTC and a waiver must be requested by the individual. Thanks!
 
@Cibolo Try searching for posts by @AROTC-dad perhaps including waiver process in the search terms. He seems to be an expert on the topic and has posted extensively on the past. He's attending his son's commissioning this week so he probably won't be online much, hence the search suggestion.
 
Update... my son got the AROTC waiver! He went to USMA SLE last year. Passed CFA and was academically qualified. (2Q letter in November)USMA requested waiver in October and he had the primary/principal nomination from Congressman. Went for further testing (corneal topography) and all tests came back good with no risk to himself for tears etc. Waiver was denied for USMA in late March. What a long year but a nice finish!
 
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Update... my son got the AROTC waiver! He went to USMA SLE last year. Passed CFA and was academically qualified. (2Q letter in November)USMA requested waiver in October and he had the primary/principal nomination from Congressman. Went for further testing (corneal topography) and all tests came back good with no risk to himself for tears etc. Waiver was denied for USMA in late March. What a long year but a nice finish!

Congrats! So happy for your DS and family.

Just so we (the forum, lurkers, etc...) learn from your DS journey...

Waiver from AROTC for astigmatism and no waiver from USMA for same?
 
Update... my son got the AROTC waiver! He went to USMA SLE last year. Passed CFA and was academically qualified. (2Q letter in November)USMA requested waiver in October and he had the primary/principal nomination from Congressman. Went for further testing (corneal topography) and all tests came back good with no risk to himself for tears etc. Waiver was denied for USMA in late March. What a long year but a nice finish!

Congrats! So happy for your DS and family.

Just so we (the forum, lurkers, etc...) learn from your DS journey...

Waiver from AROTC for astigmatism and no waiver from USMA for same?
Yes that is correct. Single disqualification for -3.25 astigmatism in one eye. Waiver requested by USMA but not granted. Waiver approved by AROTC. The kicker for this was that both his eyes are passing. Upon getting the DQ he had his records pulled from 2 previous eye drs with the bad eye measuring at worst -3.00 (which is passing). Got the records to RC and DoDMERB immediately and the USMA requested waiver within a week (DoDMERB would not overturn it). He had his hopes high with primary/ principal nomination, 2Q and LOE. He has been wearing glasses with a passing prescription for his lifetime and still does. After the waiver was requested, he saw 2 different eye drs for an independent opinion ( one which did corneal topography, float charts, dilated fundus exam,etc). The two eye drs post DoDMERB came up with the same diagnosis as he has had for many years which I believe is passing (I am not an eye dr). With the “waiver denied” by USMA I think he was really holding out hope on AROTC. Of course he had quite a letdown for a couple days after the USMA waiver denial. 4 year AROTC scholarship came (within a few days of USMA denial) to #1 school. For me, of course, I loved the AROTC scholarship and that he will be working towards a college degree ( dad and I never went to college). For him it was all about serving his country. I bought TWO cakes a couple days ago when the AROTC waiver came through. Proud mom and one happy kid!! GO ARMY!! and thanks to you all! When his journey started moving along, I became a constant lurker. I had no idea what SLE, DoDMERB, astigmatism, a nomination, CFA , APFT or even AROTC was. I get it now and maybe understand his desire to serve his country a little more. Makes for some good dinner time conversation!
 
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