NROTC Drop On Request - Help!!

[nrotc_regretful]

Hello everyone,

I am a senior mechanical engineering student and 1/C midshipman on a 2 yr side load scholarship.

Up until recently, I had dreams of serving as a nuclear officer onboard a submarine. However, I desperately want to drop out of NROTC as soon as possible. My grandmother (who raised me) is terminally ill and has about 2 years to live. I want to graduate early and move back to my country of origin to be with her and help my family since she was the main breadwinner before she received her diagnosis.

The problem is, I am terrified that the CO at my unit will recommend for me to serve as enlisted. From what I understand, this only applies if you drop within 12 months of commissioning. I am 13 months away, and have only been on scholarship for one year, so if I'm going to drop it needs to be now. I understand that I owe money back, and plan on paying that off as soon as I graduate.

Does anyone have any knowledge about this? If so, under what circumstances can a 1/C drop out of the program without having to enlist??

 

[kinnem]

All I've seen on this forum over the past few years is people being required to repay. That being said, I would suggest a few things...
1. If you haven't discussed this with your family, you should do so before reaching any decision.
2. This sounds like an unusual set of hardship circumstances. Discuss this openly with your CO. Perhaps there is some other way out of this.

 

[7422]

You need to look at the Regulations for Officer Development at Section 6-16(6)(a) stating students "may apply, via the chain of command, for disenrollment for special reasons. Special requests shall be endorsed only after conducting a preliminary inquiry and a Performance Review Board. " This doesn't answer your question regarding whether or can the PNS recommend enlistment. Keep in mind, enlistment is one of the options for disenrollment but like kinnem says, they generally opt for repayment.

 

[NavyNOLA]

On the disenrollment form, the student can choose a preferred payback method and provide a rationale. The CO also has to provide a recommended payback option and a rationale. In recent years, the vast majority of DORs have resulted in tuition payback. However, a change about a year ago stated that the Navy's preferred method for dealing with DORs within 12 months of commission would now be active enlisted service; this is to prevent seniors from DORing after service assignment (or after some company recruited them). Ultimately, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy will decide how to proceed, either AES or recoupment of tuition. Either way, you need to speak to your chain of command sooner rather than later.

 

[AROTC-dad]

@NavyNOLA, instead of disenrolling, is it possible for the OP to file for a Leave of Absence? (Form NSTC 1533/130)

If so, he could take leave, spend time with the ill grandmother, and then return to finish his degree and commission. As a Naval Officer, he would perhaps be in a better position to send money home to his family.

Form source:
http://www.nrotc.web.arizona.edu/forms/loa.pdf

 

[NavyNOLA]

@NavyNOLA, instead of disenrolling, is it possible for the OP to file for a Leave of Absence? (Form NSTC 1533/130)

If so, he could take leave, spend time with the ill grandmother, and then return to finish his degree and commission. As a Naval Officer, he would perhaps be in a better position to send money home to his family.

Form source:
http://www.nrotc.web.arizona.edu/forms/loa.pdf

Yes, a personal leave of absence may be a possibility. While uncommon, they are a tool available to the command; however, they might only last a single semester or so. The student would need to be dedicated to commissioning, though. The command needs to be consulted ASAP to look into a possibility such as that.