How do you determine scholarship amount at schools?

[Keys4me]

Son is rising senior, and we are making a list of schools. He’s interested in schools that have a choice of aero/industrial/mechanical engineering or at least 2/3. He’s very interested in going the AFROTC path, but will also be taking a shot at the academy. Some of these reach schools we simply can’t afford and refuse to saddle him with debt. How can you apply to these schools without knowing ahead of time what time of scholarship you might end up with? There are quite a few schools on his list that he’d likely get generous merit from. How do you balance this out? Lol

 

[ChatterMom2]

My son did not apply for an AFROTC but did apply for NROTC-MO. Here is how he tackled figuring out which colleges to apply to.

He made a jot list of schools that he might be interested in.
He then researched them to find out if they had the major(s) and ROTC program he was interested in. He did not rule out a school just because it did not have ROTC. He figured if they were willing to offer him enough $$$$ he would consider the PLC/OCS route.
He checked if the schools offered any perks to ROTC scholarship recipients like free or discounted room and board.
He checked the merit scholarships they offered. He checked to see if the merit scholarships could be combined with the ROTC scholarship. Some schools will not let you to use both and some schools will allow you to stack them together. He also checked if any of the schools offered any opportunities to apply for full tuition scholarships. He found most merit scholarship offers at the schools he applied to ranged from covering 38% to 95% of tuition.
He checked to see if any of the out of state schools would waive the out of state tuition fee and under what circumstances.
He divided his list up according to 1) schools for the ROTC scholarship 2) schools with the best merit scholarships and 3) local schools. Some of the schools made more than one list. He also noted which schools were only affordable with a full tuition scholarship, which were affordable with a partial scholarship, and which were doable without any scholarship or aid. He cut the schools he was least interested in.
He also limited reach schools (1). He only applied to schools he would be happy to attend whether safety,target, or reach school.
He did not start to decline schools/scholarships until he had a more clear view of the path he was going to take. Don't feel rushed. Take the time needed to make the best choices with the information you have. Keep as many options in play for as long as you need even if that means keeping several in play up until decision day. Some schools, not all, will allow an extension if needed if you ask.
Apply to colleges early. The earlier in the cycle the more scholarship money they have to award. Remember early decision is binding. For many schools early action is not binding. For some schools early action can be binding so double check.

In my son's case, he had lots of alternate plans to choose from. It is nice to have options for all possible outcomes so you get a win no matter what happens.

Good luck to your son on the journey he is about to begin.

 

[MD dd Dad]

The NROTC website just says Full Tuition, fees, stipend and beyond having to pay Room/Board I couldn't find language that said at some $ amt the student has to pick up the remaining tuition.

What does the AFROTC site say about limits on scholarship pay outs?

 

[EEBTTF]

The NROTC website just says Full Tuition, fees, stipend and beyond having to pay Room/Board I couldn't find language that said at some $ amt the student has to pick up the remaining tuition.

What does the AFROTC site say about limits on scholarship pay outs?

I have never heard of a NROTC scholarship that had a tuition limit. AFROTC is completely different as there are 3 variants (Type 1, 2, 7)

 

[ChatterMom2]

The NROTC website just says Full Tuition, fees, stipend and beyond having to pay Room/Board I couldn't find language that said at some $ amt the student has to pick up the remaining tuition.

What does the AFROTC site say about limits on scholarship pay outs?

I have never heard of a NROTC scholarship that had a tuition limit. AFROTC is completely different as there are 3 variants (Type 1, 2, 7)

Agreed.
To be clear no one said NROTC has a tuition limit but the applicant's or parents' savings or checkbook may. No one said AFROTC and NROTC were the same but researching college affordability and budgeting doesn't care what ROTC program is being discussed. It is important to know how you are going to pay for college and what you can afford.

 

[glen]

ChatterMO - My understanding is that NROTC (Navy and MO) and AROTC pay full tuition at the college or university you are attending regardless of the amount - public or private. These also pay all required fees, books and a monthly stipend of several hundred dollars a month. The AROTC scholarship will give students a choice to apply the scholarship to tuition or Room & Board. I suppose it is in the individual's interest to choose Room & Board if a university's charge Room & Board is more than tuition, but this is not typical. And if the student chooses Room & Board, I understand this is taxable. So, in the typical situation, if paying Room & Board for 4 years is financially prohibitive to the students and parents, this then becomes major factor I would think for NROTC and AROTC. AFROTC is an entirely different scheme unfortunately.

 

[ghostwritergirl]

I helped my DD compile a similar list as ChatterMom2. We used the following as criteria:
School need to have either Aero/Astro engineering or Mechanical with some sort of motorsport or vehicle specialization (and it had to be ABET).
Then we eliminated any school that didn't offer either AROTC or NROTC.
We made notes of what schools offered additional benefits to offset non-covered costs (like housing, meal plans, etc).
We visited schools and met with ROTC officials any time it was available or attended their virtual meetings.
After several visits, she decided what type of campus she felt most comfortable on (smaller, for sure).
She had a few requests about location and nearby activities that eliminated a few more schools.
Lastly, we looked for information about what kind of merit was typical for someone with her stats.

Ultimately, she applied to 8 schools and waited to see what kind of merit she was offered. She accepted an offer from her dream school well before final scholarship boards. She decided it was important for her to go to the school with the best fit for her dreams and thankfully, AROTC agreed with her choice. Whatever you do, DON'T rely on an ROTC scholarship to make a financially out-of-reach school a possibility. So many things can happen along the way that could change that scholarship standing. The last thing you want is to tell your kid that they can't stay at a school they love because it's no longer affordable.

 

[sparty77]

For the schools that you wouldn't be able to afford without scholarships, you either apply knowing that you'll need to be admitted and get a certain amount of financial aid awarded or you don't apply. There's no way you can apply before finding out if you'll get enough scholarships to make it affordable.

 

[unkown1961]

Son is rising senior, and we are making a list of schools. He’s interested in schools that have a choice of aero/industrial/mechanical engineering or at least 2/3. He’s very interested in going the AFROTC path, but will also be taking a shot at the academy. Some of these reach schools we simply can’t afford and refuse to saddle him with debt. How can you apply to these schools without knowing ahead of time what time of scholarship you might end up with? There are quite a few schools on his list that he’d likely get generous merit from. How do you balance this out? Lol

With our three kids we applied and then waited to see what the financial package was. This is all you can really do, even with applying to colleges in general. We did know the reputation of some schools to give generous aid (MIT, Princeton, Boston U, USC, Rice, many Catholic colleges), so we had a good idea that if they were accepted, we'd have aid to add to the AFROTC scholarship.
In sum apply and then see what they offer. Colleges websites will sometimes list merit scholarships and their requirements (e.g., 4.0 and "x" SAT score will earn a Presidents Scholarship, one step below will be a lower level scholarship, etc.).

 

[Keys4me]

Thanks everyone! We will continue on with the plan then!

 

[glen]

Thanks everyone! We will continue on with the plan then!

I am not sure the AFROTC website has a link to schools offering various additional financial assistance to scholarship and or contracting cadets, but the AROTC website does. you can enter the school or state of interest and the entrees list various benefits offered. Also, if you are willing to shell out a few bucks, there is a for profit counseling service that maintains a list of schools with Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC programs that offer additional financial incentives. Of course any list is out of date as soon as it issues, but it is a starting point.

 

[Herman_Snerd]

Son is rising senior, and we are making a list of schools. He’s interested in schools that have a choice of aero/industrial/mechanical engineering or at least 2/3. He’s very interested in going the AFROTC path, but will also be taking a shot at the academy. Some of these reach schools we simply can’t afford and refuse to saddle him with debt. How can you apply to these schools without knowing ahead of time what time of scholarship you might end up with? There are quite a few schools on his list that he’d likely get generous merit from. How do you balance this out? Lol

Kudos for taking a responsible approach to planning this out. This may sound like a small nuance, but it isn't - you really don't "know" what scholarship you'll have in ROTC, even if you "win", until you're further down the path. I'll just point out that even after "winning" say an AFROTC scholarship, these scholarships are contingent on meeting performance, physical standards, keeping out of trouble, meeting academic standards - things your DS will control. AFROTC in particular also to be clear states their scholarships are not guaranteed as 4 year scholarships - they sometimes pull a path-forward for things out of his control completely - after 2 years even for kids with straight As, etc. (based on the needs of the AF)- in those cases, they get 2 years of free education, but no path to serve and you'd be on the hook for years 3-4. Worse if he drops after day 1 of his second year, he may likely owe the ENTIRE scholarship back. There are hundreds who get a free semester or 2 but then drop. Mechanical injury, grades, etc.

The "winners" of these scholarships are elite - awesome young people. And none I suspect intend to not make it to commission. But hundreds don't - so factor that into your planning too on what schools he pursues. If he can get an education in a state that is almost free but the scholarship helps a little - much less risk than an 80k per year school that he may owe 300k back if he gets cited for being in a car someone else has a flask or drugs in but he didn't know or whatever, or in a bar fight his senior year. Well there are some who take the free 1st year. But please know that on day 1 of year 2, you commit to pay it all back if you don't make it to commission.
IMO this is all worth the risk for those who want to serve - my own DS is in ROTC and loves it - it's his dream and I'm proud of him and the fine women and men he is standing shoulder to shoulder with in training. But I also am an advocate of people knowing the risks ROTC programs put on it's participants and their families. Since you're a responsible planner I am hoping you would find these data points potentially helpful. Good luck and I hope it works out that he finds his path to serve.

 

[18Hopeful]

The NROTC website just says Full Tuition, fees, stipend and beyond having to pay Room/Board I couldn't find language that said at some $ amt the student has to pick up the remaining tuition.

What does the AFROTC site say about limits on scholarship pay outs?

NROTC pays full tuition, fees, stipend, uniforms, and book stipend to any NROTC program. My DS was awarded a NRTOC 4-year scholarship last year and his tuition is paid in full and he attends a university out of state. His school offered him a merit scholarship and the unit awarded his an additional ROTC scholarship which covers his room/board in full.

 

[Dckc88]

Like said above, you approach it as choice A, B, C, etc. Meaning A, would be dream school (get into it) plus a Type 1 AFROTC scholarship which pays full tuition, then define each beyond that. For my DD, she was going for a nursing scholarship, so she picked schools with nursing, AROTC, and prioritized those with direct nursing placement, or ROTC nursing slots allocated for nursing school. We gave her a budget we could afford. It could get her four years at the most affordable choice with anticipated merit scholarships, which she choose on that she easily got into, and the other side of the spectrum is we could afford 1 year at the most expensive school without much merit aid, which her school was the hardest to get into, and had direct nursing placement as a freshman. She doubted herself so she made it her last choice. She did earn a 3 year AD for Army and given her 1st (safety school), 3rd and 4th (stretch school) choices and chose that stretch, most expensive school (Army pays for tuition, fees, books, and a stipend for 3 years starting sophomore year, and the school covered room and board on campus for all four years for national scholarship recipients, even 3 year scholarships). If she had not won a national scholarship, she would have gone to one of the other 3 schools on her list, and competed for a campus based. She also understood that if for some reason her ROTC scholarship went away, like she decided against ROTC after her freshman year, then she would be transferring to a more affordable school. Everything worked out and she graduated Spring of 2020. The point of my long wordy post is, organize what you can afford, communicate that clearly with your son, and then come up with different paths based on all the various outcomes, Type 1, 2, 7, or no scholarship, school acceptances, merit awards awarded (and school's policy on whether he can use them with a type 2 or not), etc. Until he knows which schools he gets into, and what merit aid, and if he has a scholarship or not and which type, he won't be able to make a definitive choice, but he will be prepared with all the pertinent info when the time comes. This is why don't let him apply early to schools that are binding if accepted, beyond that, if you can afford the application fee, there is no limit on where to apply to so he can keep his options open.

Final point to this, my DD did not want to apply to her stretch school because she thought she wouldn't get into the direct nursing even if she got in, and we couldn't afford it without a scholarship, however, it was the only in state (private school) nursing program for Army so she was required to list it on her scholarship application. On the very last day, I think it was February 1st, we "strongly encouraged" her to finish her application since she had already sent them her test scores, and she did right on the deadline. Had she not applied, when she received the scholarship with the option to that school, she would have regretted not applying.