How often do kids leave the ROTC scholarship program(s) by choice?

[rotcrnparent]

We are particularly interested in NROTC but potentially this applies to any of the programs.

I think I read that a student owes nothing to the US government if they elect (by choice) to leave ROTC before the start of sophomore year (?) Do you have any sense about whether this ever happens or how often it happens? Is it "once in a blue moon" or more like 1% or 5% or...? And then does the student just start paying tuition-in-full to the university?

Disclaimer: if my kid does ROTC, she will be "all in." But she's also 17 and is still figuring out life and I'm a planner (and like to know what I'm getting into.) Thank you!

 

[Ivy22]

It's not all that uncommon to Drop on Request (DOR) from NROTC from what I saw at my unit. Most DORs happen in the first year or the summer after the first year, where there is no tuition payback if you DOR. Some years at my unit, up to like 50% of the freshmen class would DOR before the start of their sophomore year.

My class started out with 12 of us first day of freshmen year, and we commissioned 6 O-1s on our graduation day senior year.

 

[pa-outdoorsman]

I'm sure there a percentage of "washout" in every program, just as there is with any endeavor in life.

You are correct that you can leave after freshman year with no financial obligation. Biggest question for a SCHOLARSHIP cadet, if considering leaving ROTC, is, "How will you continue to pay for college without the scholarship?" I would imagine for many (most?), the cost of school is completely unaffordable without it. So, in addition to leaving the ROTC program, you may also be looking at leaving your school of choice in favor of a more affordable option.

 

[Ivy22]

To add, the ones who DOR'd all stayed enrolled at my school and finished their degree because my school offers full need-based financial aid for tuition and room&board to those that qualify, so finances often weren't a factor in that decision. The main reason for drops seemed to be loss of interest and also medical reasons where they were DQ'd from commissioning (either couldn't get a waiver to activate their scholarship freshman year due to a pre-existing condition, or injury/condition comes up during the course of their studies).

If medical is why one doesn't stay in NROTC, then oftentimes, tuition payback is not required, even if the medical DQ happens their last year of college during the pre-commissioning physical. Unless of course you were hiding your medical conditions from NROTC...

 

[Ivy22]

We also had some people drop because their major tier change (from 1 or 2 to 3, STEM to non-STEM) wasn't approved by NSTC, so they decided to drop NROTC altogether and pursue their preferred major rather than be forced to study a major they didn't enjoy.

 

[rotcrnparent]

Thank you both! This is all very helpful. I don't think we'll qualify for need-based aid but neither do we have $85K+/year for college (we have several kids) so this is all something to think through very carefully.

At what point in the process is one's major approved (or not-approved?)

 

[Ivy22]

Thank you both! This is all very helpful. I don't think we'll qualify for need-based aid but neither do we have $85K+/year for college (we have several kids) so this is all something to think through very carefully.

At what point in the process is one's major approved (or not-approved?)

When you're awarded an NROTC Navy Option scholarship in high school, it will be linked to a major tier:
Tier 1 - most engineering majors
Tier 2 - rest of the STEM majors
Tier 3 - non-STEM majors

Most NROTC Navy Option scholarships awarded are Tier 1/2. If you want to switch to Tier 3 from Tier 1/2, you need to get NSTC's approval. These tier change requests usually happen summer after freshman year, when people are starting to figure out what they actually want to study in college. Some years, they don't approve any of these requests; some years, they do. I think there's a minimum % of STEM majors required by law for NROTC, so that affects this.

Summer after freshman year, I applied to switch from Tier 1 to Tier 3 and it was approved.

Fast forward 3 years, and several midshipmen at my unit tried to do the same thing summer after their freshmen year, all were denied. All DOR'd from NROTC after that decision.

 

[rotcrnparent]

Thank you! If you pick Tier 2 (STEM but not engineering) up front, does it decrease your odds of receiving the scholarship? Or are those two tiers equal?

 

[Ivy22]

Thank you! If you pick Tier 2 (STEM but not engineering) up front, does it decrease your odds of receiving the scholarship? Or are those two tiers equal?

I'm not sure, but I think it's easier to receive the scholarship for Tier 1/2 than Tier 3.

Tier 1 to Tier 2 changes during college can be approved by the NROTC unit CO (aka the PNS), and these are usually approved (my unit never had a problem with this).

My suggestion would be to actually be honest when choosing your major tier on the NROTC application. Actually put the one that you want to major in. Do not put Tier 1/2 down if you know you're just going to request to change to Tier 3 after receiving the scholarship because it is not guaranteed that you will be able to switch to Tier 3 later. Not the best optics, looks like you're trying to game the application system...
Of course, many freshmen often change their majors, that's ok. But do not apply for Tier 1/2 if you have 0 plans right now to actually follow with one of those majors.

 

[Ivy22]

In my personal case for tier changes, I took courses for my planned engineering major my fall semester of first year, but I wasn't loving them like I thought would. It wasn't similar to the STEM classes I loved in high school. My spring semester, I took a wide variety of classes, and found a subject I loved, one that I didn't have the chance to explore at all in high school. Had good grades too my freshman year, so I'm sure that helped my tier change request.

 

[BJD16]

Army has more major flexibility than Navy or Air Force, and Marine Corps doesn't care about major at all.

I would be interested to see how many Navy students switch to Marine Corps when the drop to Tier 3 major is denied.

 

[Ivy22]

Army has more major flexibility than Navy or Air Force, and Marine Corps doesn't care about major at all.

I would be interested to see how many Navy students switch to Marine Corps when the drop to Tier 3 major is denied.

Blue-to-Green packages can be super competitive, depends on the year. The Marine Corps is looking for people who really want to be Marines, not just those that want to major in something different and the Navy didn't let them