SMP Question

[CoachBart]

My son is currntly going through the AROTC Scholarship process. However, since I do not know how that will eventually play out I read about non scholarship ROTC students and the SMP. Could someone break it down and explain it to me and I also have a few SMP and ROTC questions about it that I would like to ask.

1. If my DS does not get offered an AROTC Scholarship and he enrolls in college and he still wants to be in the AROTC does he just sign up for that as a class?

2. If I am not mistaken you can only be in the SMP beginning your Sophomore year. Is that correct?

3. I have read that if you are in the SMP program that it covers 100% tuition, however, I also read that it only covers $4500 in tuition a year. So I am wondering how much tuition is actually paid under the SMP. Which is correct?

4. If my DS did decide to be in the SMP would he join Army Reserve or national Guard in the area of the college he would be attending. For example I live in MD but some of the colleges my DS is interested in are out of state.

5. Here is a scenario...what if my DS went to a community college his freshman year which did not have ROTC and then enrolled in a college that had ROTC as a sophomore and wanted to join ROTC. Would he be able to just join ROTC as a new student? and would he be allowed to be in the SMP as a soph if he was not in ROTC as a freshman?

Please share any info you think will be usefull as well. Thanks.

 

[czs21]

Posting this under the ROTC forum would provide you with many more results. I personally am unable to answer any of your questions. I apologize for that.

 

[bruno]

I took the suggestion of CZS21 and moved this to the ROTC forum in hopes that some of the posters here can help CoachBart with his questions about SMP

 

[gojack]

1. If my DS does not get offered an AROTC Scholarship and he enrolls in college and he still wants to be in the AROTC does he just sign up for that as a class?

Yes, 2 classes actually MS 110, MS 111

2. If I am not mistaken you can only be in the SMP beginning your Sophomore year. Is that correct?

Payments would start 2nd yr, he would want to be in ROTC as a walk-on 1st yr as well.

3. I have read that if you are in the SMP program that it covers 100% tuition, however, I also read that it only covers $4500 in tuition a year. So I am wondering how much tuition is actually paid under the SMP. Which is correct?

Payment varies by state, I think federal tuition assistance is $4500, so that is probably the minimum. Examples; Texas gives instate tuition to all members of Texas NG, Ohio gives value of instate tuition, if member of Ohio NG, even if resident student does to an out of state or private school.

4. If my DS did decide to be in the SMP would he join Army Reserve or national Guard in the area of the college he would be attending. For example I live in MD but some of the colleges my DS is interested in are out of state.

He would want to join a unit near his school, to keep commute times to weekend drill to a minimum, that also means he would need to attend training there during the summer.

5. Here is a scenario...what if my DS went to a community college his freshman year which did not have ROTC and then enrolled in a college that had ROTC as a sophomore and wanted to join ROTC. Would he be able to just join ROTC as a new student? and would he be allowed to be in the SMP as a soph if he was not in ROTC as a freshman?

If he did Basic training between Freshman and Sophomore years, he is exempted from first 2 yrs of ROTC. Without Basic he would have to see his PMS, some on this forum have doubled up MSI and MSII, but that's at the PMS's discretion.

* There has been persistent rumors that SMP scholarships have pretty well dried up, but again it's state by state - research very carefully.

I was in the same boat as you last year, I researched SMP a bit and put down what I found Here Some actual SMPers will be along shortly to tell you everywhere I'm wrong

 

[Ohio2015Parent]

DS joined the Ohio National Guard this past June, so my information is focused mainly on our state. He will attend basic next summer, for now he drills the one weekend a month. He has chosen NOT to attend the AIT course(this is the additional 8-20+ weeks of training required for MOS specialties, ie your guard job training) IF he had chosen to attend this, he would qualify for additional financial benefits, but would miss a semester of school, which he isn't interested in doing. Instead he will contract with AROTC early in his sophomore year, at this time the ROTC stipend and book allowance will begin. Ohio does pay his current in-state tuition, his university offers ROTC and SMP cadets free on campus housing - he has heard a rumor that if he is an honor grad from basic that either Ohio or the university will pick up the meal plan next year too. These financial benefits are amazing and all, but DS is very intent on serving as an officer in the Army and after seeing how the scholarship process changed with the economic and military changes he felt that this was his best path to commissioning and serving.

It is a good idea that you and your DS explore all the options. If I have learned anything from watching DS go through this process it is be prepared, things change quickly and having multiple back up plans is essential. SMP has pros and cons (read Clarksons blog on this subject) so it may not be the correct way for all cadets - finacial benefits are great, but not the deciding factor - since IF you do not contract the Guard or Reserves will immediately enforce their contract upon you. I signed permission for my son to swear in at seventeen, it took a lot of soul searching on my part to consent. There is no try it and see, like the freshman year of a scholarship, so good luck as you and your DS continue through the maze to college and military service