I realize that most of the questions in this particular forum relate to scholarships, but we were hoping that some of you may be able to answer a question based on your ROTC experience. Son is an applicant to a service academy, but is preparing his backup plan should he not receive an appointment. He plans to participate in ROTC at the university, but has not made a final decision as to which branch. He did not apply for an ROTC scholarship because he has already been awarded a full academic scholarship at his "backup" school. He plans to major in mechanical engineering, and we are advised by the school that very few of their ME majors graduate in 4 yrs; they generally need 4.5 or 5 years. If he has to stay in school longer than 4 years, does that affect his ability to participate or commission as a non-scholarship student, or is that really a non-issue that you work out with the detachment cadre beforehand? Also, if you care to opine, does a non-scholarship ROTC participant really have the same opportunites to succeed and be commisssioned as their scholarship-holding peers? Thanks!
Non-Scholarship Participation
- Thread starter leapyear
- Start date
It wont affect him. When filling out his first semester academic plan, this issue will come up. They'll note it and when it comes time to contract, he'll be put in the FY commissioning class for whichever year he will graduate.
There are a few differences. Scholarship cadets have more opportunities to do summer training programs after freshman year. Also, in a drawdown like the one AFROTC is undergoing, non-scholarship cadets usually get the ax before scholarship cadets do. But once contracted, all cadets are the same. It just happens that scholarship cadets contract earlier.
