Desperate parent with a contracting ?

GG511

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2018
Messages
17
Hope someone with insight can help me. My DS was awarded a 3 year ad Army scholarship which started this year. He has filled out a ton for paper work with HR , took the PT test 1 time offered the 1st week of class . He said he didn't do as well as he wanted score was 278 (I'm not sure where that falls and forgot to ask him). He obviously has no grades yet but but had 3.87 1st semester & 4.0 2nd semester freshman year (not sure that is a factor) He still has not contracted , no one has .He was told it will happen hopefully next week or 2. Is this normal??? He is being proactive and asking and I don't handle his business but I'm get nervous because I'm getting huge bills from the bursars office too. We paid all book and lab fees since he hadn't received his book stipend. Is this the way it normally happens? This is not at all how it was explained to us by the ROO. I'd like to know is it his PT score or grades the issue? How long does the paper work take to be processed and tuition paid
My concern is if he doesn't contract till Oct. will it be paid by Nov. 15 th deadline? Also does that mean he will not get paid his stipend for the months he wasn't contracted? Sorry this was long but really frustrated and very concerned.
 
Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment
 
The PT test he has already taken was most likely the one put into his contracting packet. Every Battalion is different in how they handle contracting and how long it can take to get everything submitted. My guess is that it will happen within the time frame they gave him. It's good that he keeps going in for an update. As AROTC-dad said, the school is probably aware that he has a scholarship starting this year, if not it might be good to remind them, they usually are very good at working with ROTC since they know they are going to get paid the full tuition rate. I remember my son's getting several reminders from the school for tuition, things all worked out.

As far as the Lab Fees and books, I'm not sure if ROTC will reimburse those lab fees or pay them to the school leaving your son with a credit, something he may want to ask both the Battalion HR and the school. The book money is simply deposited into your son's account each semester, $600.00 per semester, he would purchase and pay for the books on his own. There were semesters that my son's would actually make money because he was able to either buy used books or get them online and pay much less then the $600.00 leaving money in his account, they got pretty good at finding deals. They learned not to purchase from the classes recommended book list before the class started other then the books he was sure they needed. It seemed that most classes never used all the books from the list, save them quite a bit each semester.
 
A couple things.

One, before any tuition and fees are paid, he will have to enter his tuition and fee info, a signed 104R and his schedule into Go Army Ed. Once that is approved (my daughter entered it awhile ago and she got approval yesterday) it takes about a month for the school to receive the check. Book money and stipend will automatically start once he contracts and his HRA enters everything.

Two, if no one has been contracted or recited their stipend, then this is how they do it at his school and it isn’t the school’s first rodeo. It is likely someone in administration is aware.


So this is what he can do, he can ask his HRA, but you can’t. He also needs to do any tasks he is asked to do In a timely manner, like setting up his Go Army Ed account. Not doing these things on time can hold things up.

What can you do? While contacting ROTC is not appropriate, as a parent you have the ability to talk to the financial aid department as long as your son gives them permission to talk to you about it. All three of my kids have scholarships ( 1 ROTC, 2 student-athletes), and I have found that someone in financial aid knows the cadence of such things, and since if something goes sideways I am the one getting the bill, my daughters have all added me as authorized in their portals at school that I can have access to financial info. At my ROTC DD’s school one person is assigned all ROTC kids, so it was easy to get the information I needed as far as knowing how long they wait and what happens if it isn’t received by a certain time. if it is keeping you up at night, it might be worth a phone call asking about this. Chances are the school has been given a list of all kids that have passed there APFT and are either contracted or will be.

Oh and one more thing, every year, right before registration my daughter gets a little nervous because her account is always on hold. It has always arrived in time for her to register, but it is always a little nerve racking. This will never not be the last semester you will be getting numerous late tuition bills. At my DD’s school as soon as the Army check is received all late fees have been reversed.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
A credit is put in for tuition fees which will be paid for once all the paperwork is in and processed. This process takes a while and it isn't a walk in the park.
 
Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment

Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment
Thank you so much for responding.
The PT test he has already taken was most likely the one put into his contracting packet. Every Battalion is different in how they handle contracting and how long it can take to get everything submitted. My guess is that it will happen within the time frame they gave him. It's good that he keeps going in for an update. As AROTC-dad said, the school is probably aware that he has a scholarship starting this year, if not it might be good to remind them, they usually are very good at working with ROTC since they know they are going to get paid the full tuition rate. I remember my son's getting several reminders from the school for tuition, things all worked out.

As far as the Lab Fees and books, I'm not sure if ROTC will reimburse those lab fees or pay them to the school leaving your son with a credit, something he may want to ask both the Battalion HR and the school. The book money is simply deposited into your son's account each semester, $600.00 per semester, he would purchase and pay for the books on his own. There were semesters that my son's would actually make money because he was able to either buy used books or get them online and pay much less then the $600.00 leaving money in his account, they got pretty good at finding deals. They learned not to purchase from the classes recommended book list before the class started other then the books he was sure they needed. It seemed that most classes never used all the books from the list, save them quite a bit each semester.

Thank you so much for responding. The information you all provided was so helpful. I think my call to bursar office after the 3rd notice was what lite my fire after explaining the situation they were the ones who told me payment by 11/15 no exceptions. Guess they will be making an exception. I will continue to let DS handle his business on the ROTC side. They have a new cadre so I'm sure they need time too. The lab fees and few books he had to have I'm ok with paying for it's nothing compared to tuition . Thanks again for all the help.
 
Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment

Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment
Thank you so much for responding.
The PT test he has already taken was most likely the one put into his contracting packet. Every Battalion is different in how they handle contracting and how long it can take to get everything submitted. My guess is that it will happen within the time frame they gave him. It's good that he keeps going in for an update. As AROTC-dad said, the school is probably aware that he has a scholarship starting this year, if not it might be good to remind them, they usually are very good at working with ROTC since they know they are going to get paid the full tuition rate. I remember my son's getting several reminders from the school for tuition, things all worked out.

As far as the Lab Fees and books, I'm not sure if ROTC will reimburse those lab fees or pay them to the school leaving your son with a credit, something he may want to ask both the Battalion HR and the school. The book money is simply deposited into your son's account each semester, $600.00 per semester, he would purchase and pay for the books on his own. There were semesters that my son's would actually make money because he was able to either buy used books or get them online and pay much less then the $600.00 leaving money in his account, they got pretty good at finding deals. They learned not to purchase from the classes recommended book list before the class started other then the books he was sure they needed. It seemed that most classes never used all the books from the list, save them quite a bit each semester.

Thank you so much for responding. The information you all provided was so helpful. I think my call to bursar office after the 3rd notice was what lite my fire after explaining the situation they were the ones who told me payment by 11/15 no exceptions. Guess they will be making an exception. I will continue to let DS handle his business on the ROTC side. They have a new cadre so I'm sure they need time too. The lab fees and few books he had to have I'm ok with paying for it's nothing compared to tuition . Thanks again for all the help.

So just a tidbit on books. Once contracted during future semesters, book money comes fairly quick, but usually after my DD is comfortable buying them, she likes to be prepared. Every semester we buy her books, she finds the best deals to rent or buy used and she uses are CC to get them. As soon as she receives her book money she sends me the amount she spent on books and she pockets the rest in her savings. It is a cadence we have become accustomed to and has worked well.
 
Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment

Take a breath and relax. :cool:

Most cadre HR reps are really swamped at this point in time and the university bursar will usually be patient (remember they are getting full retail rack rate).

If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*). So long as that is the only thing that is missing, then your son will be fine. Minimum college GPA to contract is 2.70 ** so he is good to go there too.

As far as the stipend is concerned, according to other Army ROTC members on this forum, it will be retroactive to the date of contracting.

* http://arotc.osu.edu/army-physical-fitness-test
** https://www.usfca.edu/student-life/student-activities/army-rotc/eligibility-enrollment
Thank you so much for responding.
The PT test he has already taken was most likely the one put into his contracting packet. Every Battalion is different in how they handle contracting and how long it can take to get everything submitted. My guess is that it will happen within the time frame they gave him. It's good that he keeps going in for an update. As AROTC-dad said, the school is probably aware that he has a scholarship starting this year, if not it might be good to remind them, they usually are very good at working with ROTC since they know they are going to get paid the full tuition rate. I remember my son's getting several reminders from the school for tuition, things all worked out.

As far as the Lab Fees and books, I'm not sure if ROTC will reimburse those lab fees or pay them to the school leaving your son with a credit, something he may want to ask both the Battalion HR and the school. The book money is simply deposited into your son's account each semester, $600.00 per semester, he would purchase and pay for the books on his own. There were semesters that my son's would actually make money because he was able to either buy used books or get them online and pay much less then the $600.00 leaving money in his account, they got pretty good at finding deals. They learned not to purchase from the classes recommended book list before the class started other then the books he was sure they needed. It seemed that most classes never used all the books from the list, save them quite a bit each semester.

Thank you so much for responding. The information you all provided was so helpful. I think my call to bursar office after the 3rd notice was what lite my fire after explaining the situation they were the ones who told me payment by 11/15 no exceptions. Guess they will be making an exception. I will continue to let DS handle his business on the ROTC side. They have a new cadre so I'm sure they need time too. The lab fees and few books he had to have I'm ok with paying for it's nothing compared to tuition . Thanks again for all the help.

So just a tidbit on books. Once contracted during future semesters, book money comes fairly quick, but usually after my DD is comfortable buying them, she likes to be prepared. Every semester we buy her books, she finds the best deals to rent or buy used and she uses are CC to get them. As soon as she receives her book money she sends me the amount she spent on books and she pockets the rest in her savings. It is a cadence we have become accustomed to and has worked well.
Thank you so much for the information. Love the idea if putting the rest in savings! This has been a some what frustrating process . DS is doing great and I'm hopefully after contracting the process will go more smoothly. If you have any other suggestions feel free to share.
 
This is great info. This is our first rodeo with AROTC scholarship and we were warned about the notices that would come from student accounts about late tuition. We paid the room and board before our child even arrived at school and wrote a note that they were a ROTC scholarship winner for tuition. The notices kept coming.

They have been in school for about a month and I have received three notices either by email or letter. It's tough as a responsible person to just chuck those notices in the garbage. :) The most recent letter said pay up by 9/30 or we're going to notify your child you have not paid. That's when I picked up the phone and called student accounts. I explained the situation and they even acknowledged that she was on their spreadsheet of ROTC scholarship recipients but that many of the students are slow on the paperwork. I politely suggested (OK maybe a bit snarkily) that rather than threaten to send out Rocko and Moose to break my legs, they could have sent me a friendly reminder to touch base with my child to make sure they are working on paperwork for contracting. They said they would consider my suggestion. My child contracts next week. Probably have a half a dozen notices yet to toss in garbage.:)
 
rather than threaten to send out Rocko and Moose to break my legs,
Uh oh....here come Rocko, Moose and some of their "pals"....
Walter+Chandoha.jpg


Photo credit: Walter Chandoha
(Chandoa who passed away in 2019, was a WW-II US Army combat photographer in the Pacific Theater, who after the war became known for pet photography. Many pet foods in the 50's and 60's had his photos on the label. This particular photo is simply named "The Mob")
 
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Well, my son is a 4-year scholarship winner and failed his first PFT. Because of that, we got paranoid and made sure to fund his tuition in case something happened that he didn't get contracted. We needed a loan to do it and didn't want to miss any windows. Maybe the school just scared us and we should have waited because he PASSED this morning. Now he can contract and hopefully Cadet Command pays quickly (in military terms, lol) and the school issues refund even more quickly so we can just turn around and pay off the loan now!
 
Well, my son is a 4-year scholarship winner and failed his first PFT. Because of that, we got paranoid and made sure to fund his tuition in case something happened that he didn't get contracted. We needed a loan to do it and didn't want to miss any windows. Maybe the school just scared us and we should have waited because he PASSED this morning. Now he can contract and hopefully Cadet Command pays quickly (in military terms, lol) and the school issues refund even more quickly so we can just turn around and pay off the loan now!
Not to worry you at all, but.....many people drop from the program (on their own or are told to leave) throughout the four years. Many other posts have addressed this and always tell parents to be ready, and able, to pay in case that happens.
 
If the only thing your DS is missing is an APFT, a 278 is not a problem (It is not a bad score as 180 is the minimum passing score*).

what? 278 is not a bad score??? you must be joking.
Let us set the fact straight. 278 (out of 300) for 1st and 2nd yr cadet is an excellent score! no cadre will complain for 278 for 2nd yr cadet. period.
 
you must be joking.
Not joking.

Most regulars on the forum will clearly know when I am (see "Rocko and Moose post above).

I literally meant that the 278 does not fall in the "bad category." Anyone can look at the calculator and the passing score of 180 and see that. I did not wish to overstate the obvious.

So I agree with you, that overall it is excellent. In the context of answering the OP's question, I was merely pointing out to the OP that his DS's fear about the score being below standards was misguided.

We are on the same page, I just stated it differently.
 
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Echoing the above that 278 is a great score. Anything over 270 is considered really good.
 
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