My DS has his heart set on an academy, but we know how hard it is. He is also looking hard at ROTC programs. When looking at some college's ROTC pages, it appears that when you are in ROTC you receive in state tuition regardless of which state you are from, but I do not see any clarification that that is correct for all ROTC colleges? Can anyone help me out? He would love to go to college in Colorado if the academy doesn't work out; if he doesn't get an ROTC scholarship, I am not sure we could swing out of state tuition. Thanks in advance for any help!
In state tuition for NROTC, AFROTC, AROTC?
- Thread starter CHS11111
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There are some colleges that do offer in state tuition to ROTC cadets, Texas A&M comes to mind. I belive that the majority of colleges and universities do not offer this benefit. I know the school my son attends certainly does not. This will be something you would have to confirm with each college your son is interested in attending.
There are arrangements between some schools, not having anything to do with ROTC, that allow for in-state tuition for neighboring states. I believe U of Minnesota and U of Wisconsin do this.
There is also an "exchange" among some univerisities in Western States for some majors that allows for in-state tuition + 50% at a neighboring state's college (not that many actually). http://wiche.edu/wue
Is anyone aware of ROTC triggered in-state tuition at any other college besides TAMU?
FutureOfficerMom
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Also keep in mind that some universities also offer room & board scholarships to ROTC scholarship recipients. That has saved our DS a LOT of $$, and is just another piece of the puzzle as you consider all options.
Pima
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If you look right above the threads on the ROTC forum, and below the OCS forum, you will see a sticky.
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=5429
It is a long thred, but I believe @the 20 post marker, you will see an alphabetical list of colleges that give financial benefits, be it tuition or r & b.
Personally, whether the school is on the list or isn't on the list call the det., or the bursar for verification, because of this economy nobody knows for sure unless their child is at the school if they haven't changed their programs for ROTC cadets.
Off topic, but on topic.
1. Beware, as much as he is 10,000% All In for ROTC, what happens if:
~~~ Gets there decides he doesn't want to be in NROTC, but AROTC? Will this impact their costs?
~~ DD attends VT her friend decided by Thanksgiving she did not want to be in AROTC, instead NROTC. She had it set up that she would go NROTC her soph. yr., but had to stay in AROTC until the end of her freshman yr. CAVEAT: I don't know if it was because she was AROTC scholarship. Just saying be prepared for a child that is torn between services in HS, to get to college and change their branch.
2. What will they do if they decide they don't want to be in ROTC at all after his freshman yr? Have a heart to heart now about how the bill will be made for the next 3 yrs? Will he have to transfer to a new college? Emotionally, that is hard, he has made friends, loves the school, etc. Is it worth 150K in loans?
3. AFROTC regardless of scholarship has a make or break yr, when they are sophomores in college. If they are not selected for SFT, they are dis-enrolled from AFROTC. Historically the avg cgpa is a 3.1 for tech, 3.3-3.4 non-tech. Only the 1st 3 semesters count, pull a 2.8 fall fresh. yr., and it will be hard to get to a 3.1 avg.
~ Scholarships are considered "blind", IOTW, the board does not if the cadet is on scholarship or not.
~~~ Again now what.
4. NROTC, I believe they are like AFROTC with that make or break yr., but it is n't about SFT, it is about contracting. I don't know what their avg cgpa, and I am not positive that is the exact way it works, just my polish memory remembering they have this Pass Go line around the same time.
Many colleges also offer great merit packages to ROTC candidates because these kids have out the door stats, but merit packages usually don't come out until @ Feb. Don't worry about the scholarship yet, because the merit from his dream college that is not tied to ROTC may make it financially viable with or without him in ROTC.
Just beware if ROTC is the only way he can attend, he is not giving 4 yrs of his life. He is giving at least 8, since he will have to serve at least 4 AD. College is fun, it is not full time. AD is 24/7/365 days a yr. for 4 yrs. and it could be in places like So. Korea, North Dakota, etc., in a career field that he never wanted.
He will serve at the needs of the branch.
I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, just trying to make sure he gets the commitment in yrs he will owe for him to attend that dream OOS college for 4 yrs...in essence 120 weeks. (semesters are 15 weeks, 8 semesters, = 120 weeks).
My best wishes and thoughts, thank him for at such a young age wanting to defend this great country.
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=5429
It is a long thred, but I believe @the 20 post marker, you will see an alphabetical list of colleges that give financial benefits, be it tuition or r & b.
Personally, whether the school is on the list or isn't on the list call the det., or the bursar for verification, because of this economy nobody knows for sure unless their child is at the school if they haven't changed their programs for ROTC cadets.
Off topic, but on topic.
1. Beware, as much as he is 10,000% All In for ROTC, what happens if:
~~~ Gets there decides he doesn't want to be in NROTC, but AROTC? Will this impact their costs?
~~ DD attends VT her friend decided by Thanksgiving she did not want to be in AROTC, instead NROTC. She had it set up that she would go NROTC her soph. yr., but had to stay in AROTC until the end of her freshman yr. CAVEAT: I don't know if it was because she was AROTC scholarship. Just saying be prepared for a child that is torn between services in HS, to get to college and change their branch.
2. What will they do if they decide they don't want to be in ROTC at all after his freshman yr? Have a heart to heart now about how the bill will be made for the next 3 yrs? Will he have to transfer to a new college? Emotionally, that is hard, he has made friends, loves the school, etc. Is it worth 150K in loans?
3. AFROTC regardless of scholarship has a make or break yr, when they are sophomores in college. If they are not selected for SFT, they are dis-enrolled from AFROTC. Historically the avg cgpa is a 3.1 for tech, 3.3-3.4 non-tech. Only the 1st 3 semesters count, pull a 2.8 fall fresh. yr., and it will be hard to get to a 3.1 avg.
~ Scholarships are considered "blind", IOTW, the board does not if the cadet is on scholarship or not.
~~~ Again now what.
4. NROTC, I believe they are like AFROTC with that make or break yr., but it is n't about SFT, it is about contracting. I don't know what their avg cgpa, and I am not positive that is the exact way it works, just my polish memory remembering they have this Pass Go line around the same time.
Many colleges also offer great merit packages to ROTC candidates because these kids have out the door stats, but merit packages usually don't come out until @ Feb. Don't worry about the scholarship yet, because the merit from his dream college that is not tied to ROTC may make it financially viable with or without him in ROTC.
Just beware if ROTC is the only way he can attend, he is not giving 4 yrs of his life. He is giving at least 8, since he will have to serve at least 4 AD. College is fun, it is not full time. AD is 24/7/365 days a yr. for 4 yrs. and it could be in places like So. Korea, North Dakota, etc., in a career field that he never wanted.
He will serve at the needs of the branch.
I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, just trying to make sure he gets the commitment in yrs he will owe for him to attend that dream OOS college for 4 yrs...in essence 120 weeks. (semesters are 15 weeks, 8 semesters, = 120 weeks).
My best wishes and thoughts, thank him for at such a young age wanting to defend this great country.
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Of course you're correct Pima. Here's what I know about how it works.
College Programmers will apply for a scholarship during their Spring semester of sophomore year. By definition this will only include their grades/transcript through Fall of their Sophomore year. SAT/ACT and PFT(marine)/PFA(navy) scores are also provided. There is an essay, a full body picture while in uniform, and a bunch of other stuff on the application. Application is approved for submission by appropriate folks in the battalion including the PNS, with the usual accompanying remarks. For Marine Option the MOI must also approve. For Navy I'm guessing their class adviser is also involved in the approvals.
If the applicant is approved for a scholarship, then YAY, they're in, contracted, and will go on to the Advanced Course. If the applicant is disapproved for a scholarship then a second assessment takes place as to whether they should be contracted, move on to the Advanced Course and receive the stipend. The assessment is done based off the same application. I do not know if it's a separate review board or if its the same board making a second pass through the remaining applications (not that it really matters). I also don't know when the applicants who are approved for the Advanced Course actually sign their contracts. It could very well be immediately since there are no passing PFT/PFA issues... or it could be at the start of the Fall Semester, in which case the MIDN is not eligible for summer training. My own guess is that they contract in the Fall. I assume that scholarship winners and MIDN approved for the Advanced Course out of these boards would contract at the same time.
Lawman32RPD
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Generally speaking the in-state tutition at TAMU for Cadets applies regardless of whether or not the student is "contracted" (has a scholarship) with ROTC. Please contact the Corps there for additional information. http://corps.tamu.edu/
I found something interesting on the AFROTC website that seems to indicate that the University of Texas at Austin approves In-State Tuition for "Sr. ROTC" members. It doesn't specify AROTC or AFROTC, so I'm not sure what it means.
Anybody know if UT Austin allows Army ROTC members to pay in-state Tuition?
Anybody know if UT Austin allows Army ROTC members to pay in-state Tuition?
Texas_Fight
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This is from the UT Austin Registrar's Office:
"A nonresident student who is a member of an ROTC unit will be
required to pay nonresident tuition rates until such time the
student has signed a contract which cannot be terminated by the
student and which obligates the student to serve a period of active
military duty."
I believe Texas Tech has a similar policy, too.
"A nonresident student who is a member of an ROTC unit will be
required to pay nonresident tuition rates until such time the
student has signed a contract which cannot be terminated by the
student and which obligates the student to serve a period of active
military duty."
I believe Texas Tech has a similar policy, too.
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Sounds like even a contracted freshman might not be eligible for that.
Pima
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I agree to me it would mean sophomores and above.
The interesting wording from the AFROTC site that dunninla quoted was Sr. AFROTC. In that case, it would mean they must complete SFT and become a POC. If that is true, than they would not get IS until they were a JR. in college since the 1st 2 yrs they are GMCs.
The interesting wording from the AFROTC site that dunninla quoted was Sr. AFROTC. In that case, it would mean they must complete SFT and become a POC. If that is true, than they would not get IS until they were a JR. in college since the 1st 2 yrs they are GMCs.
^ PIMA, I don't think so. I think "Sr. ROTC" means college ROTC, in contrast to "Jr. ROTC", which is in high school.
However, the Texas wording technically eliminates Army ROTC at UT, since Army ROTC does not require the commissioning cadet to go Active Duty, but gives them an option to choose Guard or Reserves. I think that might just be a mistake on the part of the person who wrote it... I think they mean straight ROTC and not Guard SMP or Reserves SMP, or GRFD. The categories can get technical and complicated, and I'm just not sure what the wording exactly means on the UT registrar's website.
However, the Texas wording technically eliminates Army ROTC at UT, since Army ROTC does not require the commissioning cadet to go Active Duty, but gives them an option to choose Guard or Reserves. I think that might just be a mistake on the part of the person who wrote it... I think they mean straight ROTC and not Guard SMP or Reserves SMP, or GRFD. The categories can get technical and complicated, and I'm just not sure what the wording exactly means on the UT registrar's website.
Pima
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Maybe, but remember you had posted from the AFROTC website. AFROTC requires all cadets that become POCs to go AD. The only way to become a POC is to attend SFT, and typically in today's AF, there is only 1 shot at it, which is at the end of their sophomore yr. SFT is the AROTC's equivalent to LDAC, but it is a selection board, and statistically it has had a 55% acceptance rate. Yrs ago, they allowed some to re-board as a 500, but that is unheard of now. Hence, why they are saying SR.
I would also think that because it is on the college website, JROTC would not be an issue...what cadet in JROTC would be an OOS cadet? They wouldn't.
I do agree that it is vague in the def., but when you add into the 2nd part and realize maybe 20% of all AFROTC cadets are scholarship, the SFT graduation, becoming a POC is when the majority would qualify for IS.
I get what you are saying about AROTC since they are the only ROTC branch that does not require AD.
In these cases, I think it is best for anyone who has this question to contact the det. at the college. Another reason why if you can visit the unit, you should. They know without a doubt how it works.
Our DS's college was not on the sticky list on this site. When DS did the college tour, he made an apptmt to meet the CoC at the det. They knew the answer, and knew he had an AFROTC scholarship, they broached the subject of what his scholarship would and would not cover.
Off topic, but on topic, for military children, also investigate the IS issue.
Example: Bullet's Home of Record on file with the AF, and tax purposes was AK. When DS was a sr. in hs., we were living in NC., and owned a home there. For NC, they would have charged IS tuition, even though we were AK residents. Proof of residency for us was just owning the home in NC.
They also have a caveat for military children, that if the parent PCSs to another state during their college yrs., they are still considered IS.
Our DS just commissioned and is now in TX. The 1st thing he did was change his residency to TX since they don't have state tax. In 25 yrs from now, no matter where he is living, his children would be eligible for IS TX tuition if the current loophole remains. That and if he doesn't change his residency, I can't see that happening unless he gets stationed in AK...permanent dividend reason.
We weren't the only ones to do this. Our friends DS went to OSU as an IS AFROTC cadet. He never lived a day in OH., his parents were from OH, and never changed their residency, they were in CO when he went to college. They got IS for both OH and CO because his Dad was ADAF.
I would also think that because it is on the college website, JROTC would not be an issue...what cadet in JROTC would be an OOS cadet? They wouldn't.
I do agree that it is vague in the def., but when you add into the 2nd part and realize maybe 20% of all AFROTC cadets are scholarship, the SFT graduation, becoming a POC is when the majority would qualify for IS.
I get what you are saying about AROTC since they are the only ROTC branch that does not require AD.
In these cases, I think it is best for anyone who has this question to contact the det. at the college. Another reason why if you can visit the unit, you should. They know without a doubt how it works.
Our DS's college was not on the sticky list on this site. When DS did the college tour, he made an apptmt to meet the CoC at the det. They knew the answer, and knew he had an AFROTC scholarship, they broached the subject of what his scholarship would and would not cover.
Off topic, but on topic, for military children, also investigate the IS issue.
Example: Bullet's Home of Record on file with the AF, and tax purposes was AK. When DS was a sr. in hs., we were living in NC., and owned a home there. For NC, they would have charged IS tuition, even though we were AK residents. Proof of residency for us was just owning the home in NC.
They also have a caveat for military children, that if the parent PCSs to another state during their college yrs., they are still considered IS.
Our DS just commissioned and is now in TX. The 1st thing he did was change his residency to TX since they don't have state tax. In 25 yrs from now, no matter where he is living, his children would be eligible for IS TX tuition if the current loophole remains. That and if he doesn't change his residency, I can't see that happening unless he gets stationed in AK...permanent dividend reason.
We weren't the only ones to do this. Our friends DS went to OSU as an IS AFROTC cadet. He never lived a day in OH., his parents were from OH, and never changed their residency, they were in CO when he went to college. They got IS for both OH and CO because his Dad was ADAF.
Just want to re-iterate what PIMA said here about merit scholarships -- my DS got a merit scholarship for his first choice school (Out of state public university) which brought the cost down to budget range. He then got the 3 year AD ROTC scholarship (and according to DS all the 3yr AD's were recently told that their 2nd semester freshman year will now be covered by scholarship also. Yay!) So far he likes ROTC and plans to continue but it gave (and continues to give me) peace of mind knowing that he will continue in ROTC because it's something he wants to do and not something that he has to do for financial reasons.
I should also note that his original ROTC scholarship was for an in-state school that was not his first choice. When he put in the request for transfer, he pointed out that his merit scholarship did make the delta between the in-state school and OOS much smaller. Not sure if that helped get his transfer approved or not. But I figure it didn't hurt.
U of Minnesota
UMN offers in-state tuition to all surrounding states other than Iowa, but includes Manitoba, Canada.
I think one would be hard pressed to find a state U of similar quality which more activily goes after good quality out-of-staters beyond the border states. The place is becoming famous in Nebraska for its outreach. The admissions department actually called the battalion on DS's behalf when he transferred his scholarship from GA Tech to UMN.
UMN offers in-state tuition to all surrounding states other than Iowa, but includes Manitoba, Canada.
I think one would be hard pressed to find a state U of similar quality which more activily goes after good quality out-of-staters beyond the border states. The place is becoming famous in Nebraska for its outreach. The admissions department actually called the battalion on DS's behalf when he transferred his scholarship from GA Tech to UMN.