Simultaneous Membership Program

D

Doctor_Pepper

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Joined
Dec 13, 2019
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138
I, like others, am eagerly awaiting a decision on my scholarship application. I have followed the advice of many on here and am building plans, B, C, etc. I met with a recruiter this evening to get some information on the Simultaneous Membership Program. The recruiter was great and did his best job of explaining it to me but it was clear that he was not well versed in the program. That said, I did some research on it when I got home and got some information contradictory to what the recruiter told me.

Has anyone participated in this program? Can you share your thoughts/perspective on the program?


Thanks in advance for your responses.
 
I'm in a position where I can sponsor 4- and 3-year Minuteman Scholarships for SMP cadets. That's full tuition while you serve in the Guard or Reserves. I also served as an SMP cadet while I was in ROTC. I'm happy to answer any questions. I'm not a recruiter nor do I currently serve.
 
mjacmoses said:
I'm in a position where I can sponsor 4- and 3-year Minuteman Scholarships for SMP cadets. That's full tuition while you serve in the Guard or Reserves. I also served as an SMP cadet while I was in ROTC. I'm happy to answer any questions. I'm not a recruiter nor do I currently serve.
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Thanks for the quick reply and thanks for your service. I am currently a HS senior. The recruiter told me that I could qualify for an SMP scholarship as a college freshman but all the information I find online suggests that the earliest I could qualify is as a college sophomore (30 college credits needed) - is this true? Also, what is my commitment if i enlist in the reserves (to get the SMP scholarship) and don't ultimately get offered one? In other words, if I enlist in the reserve for the SMP is that a guarantee of getting one?
 
Wallypip said:
Thanks for the quick reply and thanks for your service. I am currently a HS senior. The recruiter told me that I could qualify for an SMP scholarship as a college freshman but all the information I find online suggests that the earliest I could qualify is as a college sophomore (30 college credits needed) - is this true? Also, what is my commitment if i enlist in the reserves (to get the SMP scholarship) and don't ultimately get offered one? In other words, if I enlist in the reserve for the SMP is that a guarantee of getting one?
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These are great questions. Another one I have is that even if given a Minuteman Scholarship, would one have to take the fall semester off to complete AIT? It would seem to be difficult to complete both BT and AIT in time for fall classes.
 
There are plenty of prior threads on SMP. Use the search function. In the meantime this one has some interesting links in it that might provide answers to your questions.

Army ROTC SMP

I am currently a MS1 on scholarship and am very interested in the SMP program. I tried talking to guard recruiters, but did not get a definite answer on what the eligibility was to join. I do not want the GRFD money because I hope to go active duty when I commission, but I really want hands-on...
www.serviceacademyforums.com
 
Wallypip said:
I, like others, am eagerly awaiting a decision on my scholarship application. I have followed the advice of many on here and am building plans, B, C, etc. I met with a recruiter this evening to get some information on the Simultaneous Membership Program. The recruiter was great and did his best job of explaining it to me but it was clear that he was not well versed in the program. That said, I did some research on it when I got home and got some information contradictory to what the recruiter told me.

Has anyone participated in this program? Can you share your thoughts/perspective on the program?


Thanks in advance for your responses.
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Check out the minuteman scholarship. https://www.usar.army.mil/Portals/9...man scholarship.pdf?ver=2019-04-18-160049-220
 
The Minuteman with SMP doesn't require Basic Training or AIT. You can apply for/be awarded the Minuteman after the beginning of the year for the 2020-2021 school year.
 
Just be aware that if you accept the Minuteman Scholarship you will be required to fulfill your service obligation in the Reserves or National Guard, you will not be able to serve active duty when you commission.
 
mjacmoses said:
I'm in a position where I can sponsor 4- and 3-year Minuteman Scholarships for SMP cadets. That's full tuition while you serve in the Guard or Reserves. I also served as an SMP cadet while I was in ROTC. I'm happy to answer any questions. I'm not a recruiter nor do I currently serve.
Click to expand...
We recently received info on the SMP from a college son is interested in. Looking at is as a plan B if national scholarship does not happen. The reps told us that while in college and after training, the cadet is classified with the guard as a student an can not be deployed. They would also work with the student to have them trained in a skill that would be less "deployable." I am a cynic and take everything with a grain of salt - is this true? What's the catch?
 
Seacad5 said:
We recently received info on the SMP from a college son is interested in. Looking at is as a plan B if national scholarship does not happen. The reps told us that while in college and after training, the cadet is classified with the guard as a student an can not be deployed. They would also work with the student to have them trained in a skill that would be less "deployable." I am a cynic and take everything with a grain of salt - is this true? What's the catch?
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Some states have an agreement that you sign when you enlist, and it guarantees you are not deployable the first two years of college. If the cadet is in ROTC, and they contract within those two years, then they would not be deployable until they commission. However, I don't know how many states have that agreement...I only know about it bcz one of my sons recently enlisted in Kentucky NG and they have that agreement. I have another son in a different state's NG who is in college now, and if his unit gets called up, he has to go. He is a freshman and has not contracted yet. Some MOS's are deployed more than others, or so we were told. But there's no guarantees.
 
Wallypip said:
Thanks for the quick reply and thanks for your service. I am currently a HS senior. The recruiter told me that I could qualify for an SMP scholarship as a college freshman but all the information I find online suggests that the earliest I could qualify is as a college sophomore (30 college credits needed) - is this true? Also, what is my commitment if i enlist in the reserves (to get the SMP scholarship) and don't ultimately get offered one? In other words, if I enlist in the reserve for the SMP is that a guarantee of getting one?
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Have you checked with your state's NG to see what the educational benefits are? Each state is different, but several states will pay 100 percent of in state tuition. If you are interested in a state school, that benefit is the equivalent of a scholarship. And you can still do SMP.
 
Ensure you fully understand that if you take a Minuteman Scholarship or GRFD scholarship from the NG or Reserve you are not going active duty. At 18 and no idea about the Army there are always lots of sad folks come commissioning time. But if you fully understand then GRFD is a great way to become an officer.
 
mjacmoses said:
I'm in a position where I can sponsor 4- and 3-year Minuteman Scholarships for SMP cadets. That's full tuition while you serve in the Guard or Reserves. I also served as an SMP cadet while I was in ROTC. I'm happy to answer any questions. I'm not a recruiter nor do I currently serve.
Click to expand...
My DD has spoken with a recruiter at the Guard and there seems to be some mis information. Could you tell me if the 4 year Minuteman Scholarships are given out on a rolling basis beginning on March 15 or are the all given out at once. My DD is a senior in HS and has already received a 3 year AROTC national scholarship but really wants to be in the SMP program with the Guard
 
Topmom said:
My DD has spoken with a recruiter at the Guard and there seems to be some mis information. Could you tell me if the 4 year Minuteman Scholarships are given out on a rolling basis beginning on March 15 or are the all given out at once. My DD is a senior in HS and has already received a 3 year AROTC national scholarship but really wants to be in the SMP program with the Guard
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If your daughter decides to do SMP through AROTC she will be giving up the 3 year scholarship she has been awarded this year. Once she enlists in the NG she will have to participate in ROTC for the first full year before she is able to be considered for an AROTC Contract, that will/could happen sometime during her sophomore year, may not happen until the end of that year or just before the start of her junior year. During this time she will not have a scholarship unless she accepts one from the NG?Reserves such as the Minuteman. As it's been stated above by Montana State Army ROTC, if she accepts this MM Scholarship she will not be allowed to enter Active Duty when she commissions.

If she wants to get all the benefits from SMP such as the GI Bill and Kicker without accepting a Minuteman Scholarship, then she will need to complete BCT and AIT, doing this may require that she misses a semester of college to complete both or try and make the timing work that she completes BCT the summer before freshman year and AIT the summer before sophomore year.

Make sure she understands that she will be gone from school one weekend a month, depending on her major I know my son's really wanted every weekend they had to prepare for classes and complete work as well as have the time to be more involved in both ROTC and their school. Make sure she fully understands that Active Duty will be off the table, no chance to change that. As a regular 3 year scholarship winner she would have the choice to go NG/Reserves or compete for Active Duty, a lot can change in regard to what a cadet wants in 4 years. On top of everything if she starts out strong in both ROTC and School there is always a possibility that she may be offered an extra year or half year to her current scholarship once school is underway.

Bottom line is, make sure she really looks into the SMP program, talk to the Battalion where she wants to go, above all Do Not rely on what a local recruiter tells her, their goal is to get her to enlist, her goal should be to receive a commission and that 3 year scholarship is a wonderful first step.
 
Topmom said:
My DD has spoken with a recruiter at the Guard and there seems to be some mis information. Could you tell me if the 4 year Minuteman Scholarships are given out on a rolling basis beginning on March 15 or are the all given out at once. My DD is a senior in HS and has already received a 3 year AROTC national scholarship but really wants to be in the SMP program with the Guard
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From what I have read, it seems that Minuteman Scholarships are given out mostly during the summer months after applicants have been accepted into college. Once the Recruiter and/or ROO know where the applicant is going to college, then they can get the ball rolling with MEPS, Reserve/Guard unit, nomination packet, etc. So, when your daughter commits, she should immediately contact the college ROO and perhaps a nearby recruiter.
 
We have awarded them as early as March and as late as December, but have a finite number for the year.
 
Hi @mjacmoses , are you a CASA? Do you know if the Minuteman can be transferred from one region to another? In other words, if there are many qualified applicants in one region, can another area give up some to compensate for the more competitive region? Also, I spoke to a NG Operations Officer recently and he stated that not as many 4-year MM scholarships are awarded as when the program began. Is this true? The odd thing was he also mentioned they still had some unawarded scholarships still remaining from this past year. I am assuming those are 3-year.
 
jaxgriff said:
Hi @mjacmoses , are you a CASA? Do you know if the Minuteman can be transferred from one region to another? In other words, if there are many qualified applicants in one region, can another area give up some to compensate for the more competitive region? Also, I spoke to a NG Operations Officer recently and he stated that not as many 4-year MM scholarships are awarded as when the program began. Is this true? The odd thing was he also mentioned they still had some unawarded scholarships still remaining from this past year. I am assuming those are 3-year.
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Yes they can be transferred between states. Talk to the ROO and recruiters.
 
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