Min GPA for ROTC Scholarship

A

Army2022Hopeful

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May 4, 2017
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I am currently an ms1 at VMI on a 4 year army rotc scholarship. Although things are not final yet, I may be going below a 2.0 for the semester. I take full responsibility for this (and am fully aware of the relationship between my academic efforts and the current state of my gpa), but am willing to work hard next semester to make up for it. My question is, to what degree will this impact my scholarship? Will I flat out loose the scholarship permanently, or will I somehow be on some sort of suspension period? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
You imply that you didn’t work hard enough first semester. With all due respect, start rectifying that now by putting a little personal effort into answering your question by yourself. What does your scholarship paperwork say? What does your ROTC unit’s paperwork say? Surely this very topic is covered there, but you need to go find it. Again, effort. The military helps those who help themselves.
 
Not sure how they do things at VMI (you might want to ask) but typically your scholarship will be suspended for next semester. If you don’t get back above 2.0 by the following semester you will likely lose your scholarship.
 
Thank you for your responses. I'll email my rotc cadre. Just out of curiousity, by suspension, would that amount be paid back if I got my gpa back up or would the consequence of my poor academic performance result in a loss of benefits for that one semester completely?
 
I know someone at VMI who fell below and lost the scholarship for a semester. I don't believe they were paid that back after bringing their gpa back up. They were on the hook for that semester. Whether VMI financial aid office was able to assist with any funds for that semester, I don't know.

I think that you need to sit down over Christmas Furlough and honestly determine what your mistakes were and have a plan to overcome them in the spring. VMI is a difficult school. If you get behind it's hard to dig yourself out of the hole. You can but you need to be dedicated and determined. My son was in a pretty deep hole one spring semester, I was concerned that he would not get his gpa back up enough to keep his scholarship, but he did. His never fell below the requirements, but from mid terms to finals was a struggle for him. As a parent I was hard to watch him struggle through that semester and knowing the circumstances that caused it ( close friend was murdered) I had to say "son, I know why you are where you are and I understand. But, the Army doesn't care. You're going to have to suck it up and get it done." And he did.

There will always be "excuses" as to why you fell below or didn't do what you needed to but, you signed a contract and the Army isn't going to be concerned with the reason you aren't meeting your end. So, it's time to take a good look and be determined to fix what went wrong.

I wish you the very best. If you can get through the ratline at VMI, you can pull your grades up. It's worth it.
 
Again...not sure how they do things at VMI (especially since they have a thing called a “ratline”).

Here at Clarkson, as soon as grades are released I would be contacting you to advise you to contact your professors and see if you can do something to improve a grade and get above 2.0. I would also be telling you that if that can’t be done then you will be responsible for paying for next semester and that you should contact financial aid to see what you need to do to apply for financial aid (you did do a FAFSA hopefully). I would also be advising you that if you don’t improve your GPA next semester you could be disenrolled, which would mean you would be subject to repaying that first semester too.
 
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