I would also post this on
www.collegeconfidential.com under the college section. Scroll down hit colleges -alphabetical, than hit I from there post on the U of I.
Posters there are connected truly to U of I.
Next, is this his number 1 choice. or your number 1 choice?
Kids in their sr yr of hs, swear they can't wait to fly the coop, only to realize come October they want to come home just for re-charging their batteries.
I would discuss with your DS, how it will play out if he goes 1000's of miles away...in other words, does he understand when everyone clears out of the dorms for a 3 day weekend, he will stay because you can't afford flying him home?
They don't get in hs, but in college empty dorms on weekends really impact them.
Regarding ROTC, I would do a one on one visit and ask some very pertinent questions.
1. % that gets SFT
2. % that graduate with a commissioning
3. GPA for those that get SFT...tech/non-tech
4. AFSC, % that get the career field he desires.
5. Talk to C300/400's, just your DS and them.
Let him walk around the campus by himself, this will allow him to see if he feels like it is a fit.
I understand the other options are 1000's of miles away, but if he hates the campus, he will not succeed academically or in ROTC.
Finally, AFROTC scholarships are very very very competitive. If I read your post correctly U of I would be IS. Type 7 is the most common scholarship. You can convert that to 3 yr Type 2, the question is can you afford to pay out of pocket freshman yr, with only a 18K cap for 3 yrs as an OOS student?
Let's say he also wants UMich, I am guessing OOS is @35k+, that means for type 2 3 yr:
Fresh: 35 K your dime ---no stipend or book reimbursement
Soph: 17 K your dime
Jr : 17 K your dime
Sr: 17 K your dime
Caveat that is without UMich increasing tuition or R/B.
Tally it with an AFROTC scholarship and no merit you can be looking at 85K out of pocket.
IS they are covered from freshman yr.
These times from a fiscal position are impacting families.
It is a difficult decision, but it is best to use this year to determine how to approach the situation.
Good luck, trust me, we all know how hard this is, but we also know where there is a will there is a way.