Sideload Process

J

JJ2372k

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Hello all,

So the 4 year NROTC MO scholarship is for those with less than 30 college credits. If I apply as a college freshman, say, for the early board and get it, would the second semester be covered?

Thanks
 
I think it is possible. Many receive 3 and 1/2 year "walk-on" scholarships after they enroll. I think that without parental consent, as long as you are 18 at the time you have to sign the contract, you will be o.k. The key concept is that no contract is legally binding unless the party signing the contract is 18 years old at the time he or she signs the contract. That is because the law says there is no legal capacity to inter into a binding contract until a person is 18. That goes for enlistments or scholarships, or any contract. Your cadre should understand. You are probably not the first person is a similar bind regarding parental consent.
 
As a freshman in NROTC you would NOT apply for a sideload scholarship. You would re-apply for a 4 year high school scholarship which would, in effect, be a 3 year scholarship if you were awarded one. This is something fairly new which started last year. While AROTC awards walk-on scholarships, NROTC does not. All NROTC scholarships, including sideload if/when you get to that stage, are national competitions decided by national boards. If you're having age issues when you start school I'm not certain you'll be able to do NROTC as a college programmer that year. I think there is still paperwork that parents need to sign. Double check with the unit at the college you plan to attend regarding this as my memory is a bit hazy on this point.

EDIT: You can certainly take the academic classes that a NROTC freshman would tak e without being enrolled in the program. This would help bypass any signature issues and at least get you started on the path, and avoiding doubling up in a later semester.
 
Last edited:
kinnem said:
As a freshman in NROTC you would NOT apply for a sideload scholarship. You would re-apply for a 4 year high school scholarship which would, in effect, be a 3 year scholarship if you were awarded one. This is something fairly new which started last year. While AROTC awards walk-on scholarships, NROTC does not. All NROTC scholarships, including sideload if/when you get to that stage, are national competitions decided by national boards. If you're having age issues when you start school I'm not certain you'll be able to do NROTC as a college programmer that year. I think there is still paperwork that parents need to sign. Double check with the unit at the college you plan to attend regarding this as my memory is a bit hazy on this point.

EDIT: You can certainly take the academic classes that a NROTC freshman would tak e without being enrolled in the program. This would help bypass any signature issues and at least get you started on the path, and avoiding doubling up in a later semester.
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I would be 18 when I start college, so if I end up not being able to apply for the 4 year this time around, I will still apply next year for sure, and also join as a college programmer. My next question is, if I apply next year and receive the scholarship, do I still get to do the summer cruise?
 
You would miss CORTRAMID but you would do subsequent summer cruises. If you have a good idea of what you want to do in the service then missing CORTRAMID isn't really a big deal. It's my opinion this is especially true of Marine Options. DS was not awarded a scholarship until the second semester of his sophomore year. Missing CORTRAMID didn't hurt him at all.

Once you're contracted in your sophomore year you will be good to go. Of course the officers at the unit can always give the the latest info when the time comes.

I would add that you may not have issues if you're going to be 18 when you start college. You won't contract until then anyway. If you can handle the interview and PFT without support from parents then it might be doable. I feel like I'm doing a terrible thing, being a parent, to mention this but you should do things with your eyes wide open.
 
My DD won the NROTC MO four year national scholarship in the fall of her freshman year. It kicked in after her freshman year. Her unit contracted her that summer so she was still able to go to Cortramid (and she was paid for it), but the tuition part did not begin until her sophomore year. If you win the four year as a college freshman, it essentially becomes a three year scholarship. She was just lucky her unit pushed her contracting through over the summer to secure her a spot at Cortamid.
 
Yes, if you win the national scholarship during your freshman academic year, there is a chance that your unit may be able to procure a spot for you for that summer's CORTRAMID. The earlier you are awarded the scholarship, the greater the chance -- though my son was awarded his national scholarship in April 2018 and still managed to get a CORTRAMID billet for that year.
 
Same here. DD was awarded a scholarship in early spring but needed a medical waiver before her scholarship could be activated. Her waiver came through barely 2 weeks before CORTRAMID and she was able to go on the training.
 
JJ2372k said:
Hello all,

So the 4 year NROTC MO scholarship is for those with less than 30 college credits. If I apply as a college freshman, say, for the early board and get it, would the second semester be covered?

Thanks
Click to expand...

According to this (https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/scholarships.html) NROTC sideload scholarships are for 2-3 years. Must have minimum of 30 credits, or basically have completed freshman year. AP credits might be included though.

Here's the application: https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/pdfs/App...Record - 2-YR 3-YR Adv Std - Oct 2015.pdf.

No reference to parents anywhere in there.

More info (check out those serious, stern-looking faces on those 2nd looeys): https://www.marines.com/becoming-a-marine/officer.html.
 
My son reapplied for the 4 year scholarship prior to starting his freshman year in college. This was back in 2014. He was awarded the 4 year scholarship on the early board in November and was notified in December. He was not able to go to CORTRAMID, however. The unit was also building his packet for sideload, but obviously he didn't need it. His "4 year" was essentially a 3 year that kicked in the Fall of 2015.
 
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