For AFROTC
They paid Fall bill on 9/11 after the tuition was due so some people might need to juggle money for a few weeks. (UF lets you defer the tuition until Nov. if you tell them you have a scholarship other colleges don't like Arizona)The AF gives everyone a pass on the PFT for the fall and require everyone to have 8 weeks of PT before they are allowed to give the PFT. Son passed the PFT in November (lots of rain pushed this back) which counts for Spring 08. They will give the PFT again in March which will count for fall 08.
Money for books, that money will just show up late October. It is just place in thier checking accounts. Once your child passes the DODMERB phyiscal, she can join USAA. Most officers bank with them and they have car insurance. Consumer Reports always rates them very high for banking and insurance. They rebate back to you ATM fees up to $20 a month.
The kids get their stipends through EFT so they need to have a checking account before they hit college.
At the end of their Junior year USAA offers cadets a loan of 25K @ 2%. They may use it to buy a car or uniforms or pay off any student loans (not everyone has a scholarship). A few kids bank it and let it draw interest many times they are up 2% to 4% (earning 4% to 6%). They do not start making payments until they are graduated.
I know some of this is AF not Army but it can give you a guide line for what will come.