After comission, scholarship fees still due...what to do?

lpd

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Jan 24, 2019
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12
Hello everybody,
My son comissioned April 2021, he received a 2 year scholarship (4 full terms). Out of the 4 terms, only 3 were paid. I've been asking about this to rotc pers since then to no avail. Last time I talked to the det oic, he basically said that they paid their part and any outstanding fees were because of 2 courses he repeated. This classes taken/repeated way before the scholarship started paying, so they are not a factor.

They are fully convinced that they dont owe us any money. And completely ignored my emails and calls. What should my options be at this point..?? (Lawyer,etc..)
As an army vet of 22 years of service this really leaves a bad taste in my mouth by being treated so unprofessional by fellow brothers in arms...
 
I seem to recall, in the offering, that there is a CAP to the amount paid?? Could that be the situation here?

What is your sons opinion about the situation? What has he been told?
 
If it’s AROTC, perhaps @MohawkArmyROTC will jump in with insights. They are a primary source.

I’ve learned a lot about ROTC contracts and scholarships from an unofficial source, so treat accordingly, google ROTC consulting, since posting their .com link may not be allowed within forum rules.

There are law firms specializing in service academy and ROTC issues, along with related military administrative and disciplinary matters. If you google and use “military JAG” in the search string, that usually produces a list of those firms staffed by former JAGs who know the military and its processes.
 
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I seem to recall, in the offering, that there is a CAP to the amount paid?? Could that be the situation here?

What is your sons opinion about the situation? What has he been told?
The contract clearly states 2 full academic years. I assume they are calling a full year, 2 terms (fall/spring each), 15 semester hrs. Each.
They paid 3 terms , and the omitted the 3rd one completely. All of this happens during the big covid blowout, so Im sure this might be a factor and threw their pay system "off"...
 
The contract clearly states 2 full academic years. I assume they are calling a full year, 2 terms (fall/spring each), 15 semester hrs. Each.
They paid 3 terms , and the omitted the 3rd one completely. All of this happens during the big covid blowout, so Im sure this might be a factor and threw their pay system "off"...
He is currenttly proudly serving his duties, but also frustrated just like me about the whole thing...
 
If it’s AROTC, perhaps @MohawkArmyROTC will jump in with insights. They are a primary source.

I’ve learned a lot about ROTC contracts and scholarships from an unofficial source, so treat accordingly, google ROTC consulting, since posting their .com link may not be allowed within forum rules.

There are law firms specializing in service academy and ROTC issues, along with related military administrative and disciplinary matters. If you google and use “military JAG” in the search string, that usually produces a list of those firms staffed by former JAGs who know the military and its processes.
Yes, AROTC....
 
There isn't a lot of information here, so it's hard to give too much advice without guessing.

First question is what is your son telling you about the situation? Could it be possible that his scholarship was suspended for a semester because he didn't maintain the required GPA or fell below full time status or didn't meet standards.

The Army has had some issues paying the bill on time recently due to transitioning from GoArmyED to ArmyignitED. Have you spoken to the school Bursar about the status. You say one of the semesters hasn't been paid, but what does that have to do with you? The Army pays the school directly, so if you were billed by the school it was because your son may not have been entitled to something (retaken courses might be the case). I would recommend you first talk to your son, then talk to the schools Bursar and if there still seems to be a discrepancy go back to the Army ROTC program.
 
There isn't a lot of information here, so it's hard to give too much advice without guessing.

First question is what is your son telling you about the situation? Could it be possible that his scholarship was suspended for a semester because he didn't maintain the required GPA or fell below full time status or didn't meet standards.

The Army has had some issues paying the bill on time recently due to transitioning from GoArmyED to ArmyignitED. Have you spoken to the school Bursar about the status. You say one of the semesters hasn't been paid, but what does that have to do with you? The Army pays the school directly, so if you were billed by the school it was because your son may not have been entitled to something (retaken courses might be the case). I would recommend you first talk to your son, then talk to the schools Bursar and if there still seems to be a discrepancy go back to the Army ROTC program.
@clarksonarmy I was trying to think of you too to page, couldn’t dig up the “clarkson.” I too was thinking some criteria may not have been met for scholarship payment. I always learn from you and @MohawkArmyROTC .
 
This is from an NROTC perspective, but may point you in the right direction. When Midshipmen commission, our HR person completes a cost sheet summarizing total benefits paid to the university on behalf of the Midshipman. This is done in the rare occasion that something bad happens immediately after commissioning (sometimes there are DWI or other significant issues that cause a red flag).

That cost sheet would show a breakdown by academic year. I dont know if AROTC does that or not but worth checking.

There was discussion of repeating two courses. I am going to guess this means two courses were failed and needed to be repeated? If the answer is yes, my next question would be.....were those 2 courses in the same semester? And that is relevant because if so, then I will make a further assumption that for that semester, the student GPA was less than awesome, and perhaps, was lower than the required minimum GPA for AROTC. If that is true, and the unit placed your son on academic probation or a leave of absence, then.......no, they don't cover tuition for that period. For NROTC, this is made very clear to the Mid by formal letter requiring them to acknowledge in writing.

I know that's a lot of assumptions, but there wasn't a lot to go on.

Now, as to the unit not responding to parents. As nicely as I can say this, a commissioned officer in any branch is going to have to manage their affairs on their own. The government made a contract with your son......and that is who needs to handle this. If he has chosen not to, and this is a leap, but maybe he already knows the answer?

You can certainly retain an attorney, but I would make sure the young man is telling you EVERYTHING about this. Maybe the unit is a mess and someone should be held to account, but those two repeated courses have me scratching my chin.
 
Attempting to understand the current issue.
  • that 3rd of 4 semesters was not paid by AROTC to the university during a 4 semester scholarship in 2020 - fully or partially? Meaning they paid not one dime?
  • But your son did graduate/ commission so is that bill to the university for that 3rd (first semester senior year?) outstanding or paid? Who paid it if it's paid - you? If so, why? Why is this now an issue in 2022 - is the university sending you bills or is this about getting paid back what you paid out for the Fall 2020 semester? Just be aware that down the line if not resolved the university may freeze his account, not provide transcripts or confirm he graduated or even come after him/ you as the guarantor - so agree with a need to resolve.
  • did AROTC pay nothing for the third term of a 4 term scholarship or did they only partially pay for that semester?
    • If AROTC won't cover retakes, did they pay for the rest of the semester courses 9/15 credits? You said it doesn't matter with confidence if these course failures occurred before he was on scholarship. Just a guess - do they consider that a semester your son took less than full time credits because the retakes they don't cover/ recognize took him below at least 12 credits, and therefore they won't pay for it since he is required to take a full course load? that's my without a full understanding best guess fyi. Where is your son's academic ROTC adviser in all of this - who approved his 4 year plan? What's the actual rule of what AROTC owes when this happens? Don't just state with certainty as if you know the rules - expressly find out. He should ask cadet command. https://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/contact.aspx

      AROTC says we've paid all we will pay, and pointed to prior courses needed to be repeated. Did your son fail a fitness test or get on academic probation for a low GPA or not enough credits, such that he wasn't on scholarship for the semester in question? Certainly he would know that if so. Recommend you talk with your son and ensure you have the full picture here.
I recommend you step back and ensure your adult son takes the lead to resolve this. *You can behind the scenes do that with him, but correspondence should come from him, not you.
I recommend your son reach out to Cadet Command, the bursar's office at the university, and clearly document that what the need is - I would have your son present the contract, and ask the Bursar's office to absolve him/ you of the responsibility given the contract you had and to ask them for help to resolve this. they should take this up with Army on your behalf.
I recommend your son continue to reach out to the unit in writing (forget phone calls), and begin to copy the administration of the university and the PMS. Reasonably timebox requests for answers with 5 business days notice. "please reply by close of business on Friday, Janauary 21st". He should note he is disappointed at the lack of the professional courtesy of a full explanation or even a reply to your recent questions. But before you do that, get your facts straight in-house with your son.

This all sounds surmountable to resolve. Just make sure you engage the bursar and cadet command and be open to the fact that by taking retakes your son might have brought his credit count too low to get reimbursed. How you deal with that is up to you if that's the case.

If you can share answers to the details above it may help people form this forum further assist with suggestions. Good luck to you and please keep the board updated so this saga can be a teaching tool (or warning) for others.
 
Attempting to understand the current issue.
  • that 3rd of 4 semesters was not paid by AROTC to the university during a 4 semester scholarship in 2020 - fully or partially? Meaning they paid not one dime?
  • But your son did graduate/ commission so is that bill to the university for that 3rd (first semester senior year?) outstanding or paid? Who paid it if it's paid - you? If so, why? Why is this now an issue in 2022 - is the university sending you bills or is this about getting paid back what you paid out for the Fall 2020 semester? Just be aware that down the line if not resolved the university may freeze his account, not provide transcripts or confirm he graduated or even come after him/ you as the guarantor - so agree with a need to resolve.
  • did AROTC pay nothing for the third term of a 4 term scholarship or did they only partially pay for that semester?
    • If AROTC won't cover retakes, did they pay for the rest of the semester courses 9/15 credits? You said it doesn't matter with confidence if these course failures occurred before he was on scholarship. Just a guess - do they consider that a semester your son took less than full time credits because the retakes they don't cover/ recognize took him below at least 12 credits, and therefore they won't pay for it since he is required to take a full course load? that's my without a full understanding best guess fyi. Where is your son's academic ROTC adviser in all of this - who approved his 4 year plan? What's the actual rule of what AROTC owes when this happens? Don't just state with certainty as if you know the rules - expressly find out. He should ask cadet command. https://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/contact.aspx

      AROTC says we've paid all we will pay, and pointed to prior courses needed to be repeated. Did your son fail a fitness test or get on academic probation for a low GPA or not enough credits, such that he wasn't on scholarship for the semester in question? Certainly he would know that if so. Recommend you talk with your son and ensure you have the full picture here.
I recommend you step back and ensure your adult son takes the lead to resolve this. *You can behind the scenes do that with him, but correspondence should come from him, not you.
I recommend your son reach out to Cadet Command, the bursar's office at the university, and clearly document that what the need is - I would have your son present the contract, and ask the Bursar's office to absolve him/ you of the responsibility given the contract you had and to ask them for help to resolve this. they should take this up with Army on your behalf.
I recommend your son continue to reach out to the unit in writing (forget phone calls), and begin to copy the administration of the university and the PMS. Reasonably timebox requests for answers with 5 business days notice. "please reply by close of business on Friday, Janauary 21st". He should note he is disappointed at the lack of the professional courtesy of a full explanation or even a reply to your recent questions. But before you do that, get your facts straight in-house with your son.

This all sounds surmountable to resolve. Just make sure you engage the bursar and cadet command and be open to the fact that by taking retakes your son might have brought his credit count too low to get reimbursed. How you deal with that is up to you if that's the case.

If you can share answers to the details above it may help people form this forum further assist with suggestions. Good luck to you and please keep the board updated so this saga can be a teaching tool (or warning) for others.
. Out of 4 semesters, only the first 3 were fully paid. (2 year scholarship). The 4th semester no scholarship payment came thru.

. He graduated/commisioned. I did covered the outstanding payment. The day of commissioning, we inquired about the missing payment and were told to allow them an extra month for the scholarship payment to clear. Up to this day, that has been their response; "gives us another month"...
Until a few weeks ago. When were told that the reason was because of repeated courses.

Only one class was repeated during contracting, during the third term.
He had a full load of school work, no dwi,pt failures,etc.

Thanks for the your insight and every one elses, very good points. I will get wit him and hopefully get somewhere and definetely make this a learning experience...
 
Final update:
After researching different approaches (including a congressional investigation,etc), my son contacted the US Army IG. Which then transfered the case to the ROTC Army IG, and about 6 months later between investigations, the missing payment (apprx. $6,000) was credited back to my son. Both investigations took forever, but at least this way there was no need to get attorneys involved.
Never underestimate the cadet without checking to see if your operations are running in orderly and professional fashion. This should it never had to be dragged this long, instead of the cadre running a quick honest check of past actions to detect any faulty transactions.

Is gotta be quite embarrasing to have the IG come over and go thru your books, because you failed to maintained control of your ops.
don't let it happen to you....

Thank all for your service and God bless you all....
 
Final update:
After researching different approaches (including a congressional investigation,etc), my son contacted the US Army IG. Which then transfered the case to the ROTC Army IG, and about 6 months later between investigations, the missing payment (apprx. $6,000) was credited back to my son. Both investigations took forever, but at least this way there was no need to get attorneys involved.
Never underestimate the cadet without checking to see if your operations are running in orderly and professional fashion. This should it never had to be dragged this long, instead of the cadre running a quick honest check of past actions to detect any faulty transactions.

Is gotta be quite embarrasing to have the IG come over and go thru your books, because you failed to maintained control of your ops.
don't let it happen to you....

Thank all for your service and God bless you all....
Persistence pays! Well done!
 
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