How do non-scholorship cadets get contracted?

[Montana State Army ROTC]

At least the schools I have looked at, there is an application to get into ROTC as a non-scholarship student. You don't just sign up for the ROTC class like you would in high school JROTC. You have to apply and be accepted into the program.

School dependent but usually freshman and sophomore classes are open to anyone on campus.

 

[Humey]

AFrotc works or worked this way. To continue to third year, you must be invited to Field Training. It is a 13-21 day (number of days changes every year, typically less) training camp held in the summer between sophmore year and Junior year. If you get invited and if you pass, you will then have the choice to contract if you want to continue your third year. When you contract, you will then start receiving your monthly stipend. Now when my son when to field training sometime in 2016 or so, everyone in his detachment got invited and that was more or less true for every detachment in the country. In the last couple of years prior to covid, not everyone got invited to field training. I think the number of spots actually went up but becuase so many people were joing AF Rotc, they had to cut people. What happens if you dont get invited to Field Training, i dont know. Some get invited to stay in AFRotc, some are asked to leave and some are encouraged to join Army Rotc. Since Covid, the rules have changed again. AS they wanted to keep everyone safe, the number of people invited were reduced again. What they do with those who dont get invited, again has changed because there are plenty of cadets who should have been invited but werent because of lack of space. Another wrinkle is that while there had been a shortage of pilots and everyone else (although AF has pretty good retention) everyone who was thinking of leaving the AF for greener pastures have decided to stay. One, all of the pilot jobs offered by the Airlines have disappeared and Two, the non pilots would rather have steady paycheck right now. Because of this, AFRotc is now allowing cadets who would almost always go Active Duty, to change to Reserve or National Guard. They are also allowing you to switch to Navy or Marines although not Army. This can all change in six months to a year, so i wouldlnt plan my future based on what is going on right now. A lot of it is timing. My son automatically went to Field TRaining because of timing, my son got a pilot spot because of timing and went to Vance (supposed to go to Columbus but was switched out) because of timing. Although he did very well at UPT so there was never an issue, he wouldnt have been kicked out of UPT because during this period, no one got kicked out. (well almost no one) Not to say he didnt deserve being a pilot, but the timing made his life way easier. My point is something timing is everything

 

[kinnem]

Would you recommend applying for a three year scholarship?

I'm not sure about the context of you question.

As a high school student you apply for a scholarship. If they offer you a scholarship they will specify 3 or 4 years. You don't apply specifically for a 3 year.

Once in the program I believe that for AROTC, you don't apply for a scholarship but they offer you one if they deem your worthy. In any case your cadre can advise you on how it works once in the program.

 

[kinnem]

I am still a HS student, for enrolling in a ROTC class do I do it when I meet with the advisor for my campus or do I email the admissions office

Contact the unit at the college you'll be attending as soon as you've made your decision. They'll tell you what their process is and what classes you will need to register for. Doing it when school starts may be too late in the sense that you may already be behind others in the program.

 

[Cash]

I'm not sure about the context of you question.

As a high school student you apply for a scholarship. If they offer you a scholarship they will specify 3 or 4 years. You don't apply specifically for a 3 year.

Once in the program I believe that for AROTC, you don't apply for a scholarship but they offer you one if they deem your worthy. In any case your cadre can advise you on how it works once in the program.

Sounds great!

 

[Cash]

Contact the unit at the college you'll be attending as soon as you've made your decision. They'll tell you what their process is and what classes you will need to register for. Doing it when school starts may be too late in the sense that you may already be behind others in the program.

Thank you for this advice I will be contacting them once I enroll.