Four years ago, DS applied to USNA and NROTC. He did not receive an appointment and was devastated as his dream since about age 4 was to attend Annapolis and become a Navy Pilot. He did receive a full 4 year NROTC scholarship. His Plan B, however, was not without a hiccup. He was assigned to a school he really did not want to attend. After an agonizing week, he decided to give up the scholarship and join the NROTC unit at his first choice school as a college programmer. The CO at the unit tried from day 1 to get the scholarship transferred. When that didn't work, he tried to get him a 3 year scholarship, and then a 2 year scholarship. All the while, DS kept working hard, taking out student loans to pay for school. Finally, at the end of his junior year, he was given advanced standing in the unit...still no scholarship, but he was able to go out on summer cruise. He was sent to San Diego for 5 weeks and got to actually fly a helicopter! We were on pins and needles waiting for Service Selections to come out. Would DS get a pilot slot? I am happy to report that he did, indeed, get a pilot slot and will report to Pensacola next summer. His journey to this point is absolutely not what he had envisioned, but he is proof positive that dreams do come true!
Dreams do come true
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bjkuds
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Ohio2015Parent
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So glad to read that your DS's desire and hard work have been rewarded - great stories like his need to be shared!!
Thank you for sharing! DS has 4yr NROTC scholorship in hand but waiting and hoping for USNA with the same dream of aviation! Your posted encouraged him that he can obtain that dream even if his first choice doesn't work out! What a wonderful Christmas gift! CELEBRATE! 
This is just what I needed to hear. DS is in a similar situation, but midway through his 3C year. The CO is doing everything to get him a scholarship, to no avail. It's frustrating as a parent to see this 'injustice' play out, but as you point out, hard work and dedication pay off in the end. Thanks for sharing your story!
Kat
Kat
You beat me to it.
Not sure injustice is the right word, Tight budget, high degree of competition, a list a mile long of cadets looking for scholarships with very few to go around might be a better term.
It FEELS like injustice when you are waiting! 
I completely understand budget cuts and limitations. What is hard is watching your son/daughter busting it to get a scholarship, getting the grades, the billets, and LOCAL awards, only to be overlooked by what ever board selects scholarships for college programmers. It's also hard to see the Navy take risks on students in the NROTC Scholarship program and not afford greater scholarship opportunities for students who have proven themselves via 'volunteer' participation in the unit. Many, not all, but many students on scholarship drop out and/or arrive at the unit with the mistaken idea that they don't have to DO anything to keep/earn a scholarship. It's a process I don't understand. However, who am I to question the Navy?? Again, it may not BE injustice, but it feels that way.
Kat
I completely understand budget cuts and limitations. What is hard is watching your son/daughter busting it to get a scholarship, getting the grades, the billets, and LOCAL awards, only to be overlooked by what ever board selects scholarships for college programmers. It's also hard to see the Navy take risks on students in the NROTC Scholarship program and not afford greater scholarship opportunities for students who have proven themselves via 'volunteer' participation in the unit. Many, not all, but many students on scholarship drop out and/or arrive at the unit with the mistaken idea that they don't have to DO anything to keep/earn a scholarship. It's a process I don't understand. However, who am I to question the Navy?? Again, it may not BE injustice, but it feels that way. Kat
It FEELS like injustice when you are waiting!
Kat
The whole scholarship process has been a debate for years.
Your situation is not exclusive to the Navy, AROTC has the same issues in regard to scholarships. Every year it seems that there are cadets that receive the 4 year scholarship that either have no idea what to expect or come to school unprepared for what is asked of them. Of the three 4 year scholarship cadets that started this year at my son's school one has already left the program and one is under review to see if he will be able to continue. There are non scholarship cadets in the class that are doing well and would benefit from a scholarship but are unable to receive one at this time, it can seem unfair at times. There doesn't seem to be a good answer other then requiring all cadets to compete for scholarships after they start the program, unfortunatly I don't see that happening anytime soon.
I wish the best of luck to your son, he sounds like he is doing great and will continue through NROTC all the way to commissioning. Good luck to him, I hope a scholarship come through.
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^^^ Based on no evidence whatsoever, I've concluded scholarships are awarded to those students they don't wish to lose, if at all possible. Sometimes I think dedication to the program may be a hinderance unless also accompanied by terrific grades. Or perhaps I should say dedication alone is insufficient.
I think you could be right. The scholarships are a recruiting tool not a reward for performance. At least that is my belief.
Right...which makes it all the more frustrating when you've got a 4.0 student in a Tier 1 major without a scholarship on your hands.
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Right...which makes it all the more frustrating when you've got a 4.0 student in a Tier 1 major without a scholarship on your hands.
I certainly understand your feelings.
Actually there is written evidence to support your conclusion. I'm sorry I cannot remember the name of the document, but it is the Standard operating manual for PMSs, in the section about 3 yr., 2 yr. etc. scholarships. That section specifically states that those scarce scholarships are to be allocated based upon, in part, which students the program will lose without the financial assistance of the scholarship... word. My jaw dropped when I read that section a few months ago, because I don't think that's how the HS Senior selection works, but then I realized it is just common sense. The needs of the Army come first, and if the Army can get more cadets to participate by financially supporting (with scholarship) those cadets who would otherwise have to drop out, well, the Army wins.