We just found out DS just won an AFROTC Type 1 Scholarship! He didn't apply to many schools, and it was a big surprise he didn't get into his first choice Purdue despite having better stats than their "average" admissions stats. Purdue told his admissions counselor at school they had a huge increase in enrollment due to kids taking gap years from Covid and they had to give in-state kids the priority. He had decided on University of Cincinnati majoring in biomedical engineering but then just found out about his Type 1 Scholarship. UC is a great school but I feel like we would be leaving a lot of money on the table not going somewhere more expensive (we are in state for Cincinnati so the scholarship is only valued at $13k). So...do you try and get the most value out of the scholarship? The problem is he didn't apply to any of the more expensive/selective schools and is it to late to apply? Not to say those are always better but when you are offered full tuition it really opens doors you didn't think were possible.
AFROTC Type 1 College Choices
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unkown1961
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It's past most college application deadlines. Some are open year-round and you can Google those. But choose based on his likes - if he likes UC and is happy with it, then that should be his top consideration.
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College professor here, who teaches at a well-regarded flagship state university. Don’t confuse “expensive” with “better eduction.”
I understand the desire to “maximize the value” of the scholarship. But going to a high-priced college only makes sense if it’s also the best fit for the student. Much of what you’re paying for is branding, services that are only peripherally related to learning, real estate, pretty landscapes, football coaches, etc. Certainly those aspects factor into a holistic college experience, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them a good value.
I’m a big fan of what my kids’ college counselor used to say: College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.
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ColordoKid24
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I'd urge you to consider the risk of being unable to obtain medical clearance. Or just unable to obtain it by Sept. Do you have any even possible DQ-able conditions? Or conditions that might require a waiver? There are many seemingly trivial reasons you can get hung up here. And if you do, can you then afford the college?
Also consider the risk of disenrollment (voluntary or involuntary) either of which could result in a repayment obligation. Could you afford it?
Also consider the risk of disenrollment (voluntary or involuntary) either of which could result in a repayment obligation. Could you afford it?
Norwich University in Northfield, VT is one of the 6 Major Military Universities in the US. (See Texas A&M, Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, etc...)
It was the first original ROTC program in the country.Which means they have a corp of Cadets. And all branches of ROTC. It is a fine University, with especially strong STEM majors. Very well regarded engineering programs, etc...
It's 70K per year. (I don't think hardly anyone pays the full amount....scholarships for GPA, test scores, etc...) Small private University. BUT, they offer an on Campus ROTC scholarship covering room, board and everything else, to go along with your federal scholarship.
So he would actually get paid the stipend to attend. The rest being essentially free.
Vermont is obviously not for everyone, and includes some logistical challenges. Although the year round outdoor activities are amazing. And the school provides equipment to loan for these activities to some degree.
We toured the Campus last summer. And it was AMAZING! My son was quite impressed. He'd be heading there himself, except for his Service Academy Appointments.
Best of all, in your situation....they have rolling admissions. The process is fairly quick. And he can apply as late as end of July, to start early September.
We were VERY impressed with their level of organization and preparedness for our admissions briefing and tour. Which included a scheduled meeting with a AFROTC detachment person, in their offices on campus, scheduled for the end of the tour for just him. They have Army, Navy, Airforce ROTC offices, all in their separate offices , in same building on campus.
I would highly recommend contacting them and a visit!!! They were awesome to deal with, all around. And a visit would be very much recommended. Vermont is so beautiful, you might never leave....
Also read the thread under ROTC about schools that offer similar scholarships to go along with Federal ROTC scholarships. If you have a 4 yr scholarship, there are quite a few good schools you can go to for free + stipend, or greatly reduced costs. I just liked Norwich
Herman_Snerd
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Nice posts above. The higher the tuition the bigger the risk. Not everyone who earns a four year AFROTC scholarship makes it to commission or even beyond the first two years. My DS took his scholarship at a private school and if anything goes wrong we’d be on the hook for more than 200k in recoupment.
Going to a school that your son would like is a bigger value than going for the biggest dollars. As others stated to see at the end of the day what the actual cost to attend will be after merit or financial aid and after room and board. Some students actually MAKE money to attend school on these scholarships. Good luck.
Congratulations on the scholarship! My DS has gone from looking at “maybe“ an ROTC scholarship to realistically being a non scholarship cadet/midshipman. We have made a lot of visits to universities in our state and the advice from all ROTC branches is find a university and major your DS is comfortable in for the 4/5 years in college. As stated by others the biggest/high priced/highest rated is not always the best fit for the student. My DS has never liked the feel of a big state university and is more comfortable with a major with math & physics. A scholarship does not guarantee a commission. Getting selected to, attending, and completing field training (FT) between the sophomore and junior year is a must to continue in AFROTC. Not completing FT, a medical DQ, dis enrollment, etc. can result in repayment or enlisted service. Best of luck to you and again Congratulations on the scholarship!
I would call Purdue admissions or hace cojnselor call his contact and tell them about the scholarship and they may put him in the school of science vs engineering for example to get him in. They have a large detachment and the person there that is in charge may call admissions too. Don't give up. Afrotc is very selective and they will want him if they understand.
Yes, I messaged her the same thing since he had applied. My son turned his spot down and was accepted. So May 1 they will have openings i bet .Would work at Tulane most likely as well and they offer room and board free. That's if you had applied already. Too late now.