Backup plans?

OhioMom88

10-Year Member
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Sep 12, 2006
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somewhere on the "other" forum, there were some posts that got me thinking ( that's usually not good.:) Of interest is backup planning ( i.e putting deposits down at civilian schools) and the fact that even with an appointment, if one sustains an injury or has some sort of serious surgery prior to actually reporting to the academy in the summer, one could be sent home. So....
If one has a NROTC scholarship, and an appointment, and are undecided, is it ok to accept the NROTC knowing there is a chance of not actually using it?
The letter says "accepting the NROTC scholarship does not obligate you to attend and you may decline your scholarship at any point prior to starting"
However, it goes on to say "if you enroll in any other military officer program, i.e. an academy, you forfeit your scholarship. ex. If you receive an appointment to, enroll in and drop from an academy, you cannot reclaim your scholarship, even if you were enrolled for only one day."
So, what exactly does enroll mean? Accept the appointment? Show up on I-day? Take the oath?
 
It's been too long for me to give you a specific answer, but if I remember correctly from past discussions, I believe that once you accept an appointment to one, you can't get an appointment to the other.

The very best advice I can give you is to contact your BGO (or ask one of our resident BGOs) and ask them if you lose your opportunity for an appointment to USNA if you accept an NROTC scholarship.

BTW, only the scholoarship applies. In other words, if your kid is accepted to MIT, and they want to go under NROTC, but NROTC has not responded, then accepting the slot at MIT is no big deal, but accepting an NROTC scholarship MAY be.

Contact your BGO, or USNA1985 or USNA69. Get the straight scoop from those in the know.
 
Zaphod said:
Contact your BGO, or USNA1985 or USNA69. Get the straight scoop from those in the know.

Thanks for putting me on the spot, old buddy.:shake: Actually these are all NROTC questions since, in all cases, the candidate is desiring to forefit the ROTC scholarship. I have never encountered any personal situations that would lend credence to any of my suppositions. So usna85, tag, you are it.

OhioMom88 said:
Of interest is backup planning ( i.e putting deposits down at civilian schools) and the fact that even with an appointment, if one sustains an injury or has some sort of serious surgery prior to actually reporting to the academy in the summer, one could be sent home.

Sea Story Alert!!!! Feet on table, please!!!!!
My mom did not want me to go to USNA and was hoping (and probably praying) that I would not make it through plebe summer. My backup school was Georgia Tech. Her parting words to me when I got on the plane for I-day (as a rule, parents didn't go with their sons back then) was that she would take care of my Tech rejection letter and deposit. Little did I know that her "taking care" would be to get my dorm room and register me for classes. I am sure, on some dusty old profs class register, I am still marked as absent for a while and then ending in question marks.

OhioMom88 said:
If one has a NROTC scholarship, and an appointment, and are undecided, is it ok to accept the NROTC knowing there is a chance of not actually using it?
The letter says "accepting the NROTC scholarship does not obligate you to attend and you may decline your scholarship at any point prior to starting"

My guess would be that the letter says it all. That accepting does not obligate. I cannot imagine ROTC not being required to release someone with no penalty if they subsequently receive a USNA appointment.

OhioMom88 said:
However, it goes on to say "if you enroll in any other military officer program, i.e. an academy, you forfeit your scholarship. ex. If you receive an appointment to, enroll in and drop from an academy, you cannot reclaim your scholarship, even if you were enrolled for only one day."
So, what exactly does enroll mean? Accept the appointment? Show up on I-day? Take the oath?

Again, these are ROTC rules so their definition of "enroll" would be be the driving force. Webster's definition is "to register". They do need to fill out their roster and, I would think, cannot wait for someone to get halfway through plebe summer, decide they do not like it, and then desire their ROTC scholarship back. My guess would be accepting the appointment.
 
Saw many cases of kids accepting the ROTC scholarship but recall that when they did accept appointments, they had to turn down the scholarship in writing. As to the deposits for Plan B schools, most pay them, then eat the deposit. In our case, we chose not to do that. Paid the deposit then waited until the last possible day before faxing the school & requesting the deposit back. It was risky as the boy could have been injured the day before reporting in. But I love living on the edge. LOL Please don't take my words as set in stone on the scholarship & give a call to the ROTC folks directly for peace of mind.
 
"just a mom" here, but my dd accepted her 4 year ROTC scholarship in October whilst waiting for her Appointments. When she ultimately released her NROTC scholarship, there was a box to check "declining because going to USNA". It's quite common.
 
backup

Here in San Diego there were 2 levels of ROTC scholarships. They offer 10 Instant Decision Scholarships - meaning you have your interview in the fall of your senior year and on the spot if they like your application/interview they offer you a full scholarship. However this IS binding. They tell you this upfront. In addition they still offer other non-binding scholarships throughout the high school interview process.

My daughter, knowing ahead of time from her ROTC contact that the Navy wanted to offer her one of these binding scholarships- and also knowing she wanted a USNA appointment - opted NOT to interview with Navy ROTC here in San Diego. Instead she interviewed with Marine ROTC which told her they would consider her for their early action scholarship, but it was not binding. It turned out she did get the MCROTC scholarship - but it came about 2 weeks after her LOA to USNA. What she opted to do was accept her MCROTC scholarship and she held onto it until the spring well after all her Appointment paperwork was in to USNA and then she called the Marine Captain she was working with and also wrote a nice thank you to him....and also completed a brief postcard which was sent to the main Navy ROTC folk.
 
peskemom said:
Here in San Diego there were 2 levels of ROTC scholarships. They offer 10 Instant Decision Scholarships - meaning you have your interview in the fall of your senior year and on the spot if they like your application/interview they offer you a full scholarship.

This is intriguing. Is this something specific to San Diego? The Academy looks favorably on candidates who also apply to ROTC. It shows a commitment to Naval service. The discussion thereof is a part of the BGO interview. I have trouble visualizing visiting an outstanding candidate, discussing ROTC with him, and him subsequently applying to ROTC and then informing the Academy that he will be unable to accept the appointment since he accepted a binding Instant Decision Scholarship. It goes against my perception of Navy policy which is to put the candidate in the best available program.
 
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