ROTC Scholarship and The Reserves

Dawgs19

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Jul 22, 2015
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Hey guys I matriculate into the Citadel In August and I'm going on a 4-year AROTC scholarship. Was wondering if joining the reserves next summer would be a good move or even if that's something I could do?
 
Hey guys I matriculate into the Citadel In August and I'm going on a 4-year AROTC scholarship. Was wondering if joining the reserves next summer would be a good move or even if that's something I could do?

There are a couple issues with this.

First, if you decided to join the Reserve/NG you would be required to give up your 4 year scholarship.

Since you are on a 4 year scholarship, if you pass your APFT and complete your paperwork as soon as you get to school, you will be a contracted cadet. If you drop your scholarship to join the Reserve you will no longer be contracted. You would then need to become a SMP Cadet and then compete for a contract with all the other non scholarship cadets.

Unless you attend both BCT and AIT you would not be eligible for the GI Bill, there have been changes in the GI Bill and what you can get if your receive any tuition assistance, I do not believe you can get both anymore. If you do try and attend BCT and AIT there is a good chance you would need to miss a semester of school, you would need to talk to the Citadel to see how that would work.

You would then be required to attend drill one weekend a month, this will take time away from being on campus.

There are GRFD scholarships available for cadets in the Reserve/NG, but they require you fulfill your service obligation in the Reserve/NG, no chance for Active Duty. A ROO posted here that Cadet Command is no longer allowing Scholarship cadets to switch over to the GRFD, that is something else you would need to check out.

Long story short, you have been given a pretty nice golden ticket, why mess with a sure thing and the opportunity to be contracted from day one. If either of my sons would have asked my opinion on this I would have strongly advised them both to stay with the Scholarship. That would be my advice to you as well.
 
Keep your options open and keep the scholarship. You could be in a totally different head space in the next 1-4 years.
 
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