Still waiting for a BUMED Waiver (NROTC)?

WiscoDad24

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Feb 4, 2024
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Just curious - are there others still waiting for a medical waiver from BUMED (NROTC)?

NSI completed and tuition/Fees are due in less than a month . . .
 
Just curious - are there others still waiting for a medical waiver from BUMED (NROTC)?

NSI completed and tuition/Fees are due in less than a month . . .
Unfortunately this happens every year, where students are waiting for a waiver and tuition/fees are due.

It’s also why it’s always suggested to keep in the back of your mind that the scholarship may not come through for you, and you may have to face making financial decisions about the college you chose (so to choose one that meets your financial abilities to self pay).

And every year, students are awaiting waiver decisions for their scholarships.

Hope it comes through for you. Use the search function for lots of discussion about this very subject with some good advice as far as how to manage it. One suggestion being talking to the registrar office of your college if it comes to that (waiver decision not made and tuition is due).
 
As stated above, this is a common problem every year. It would not hurt to reach out to the registrar/financial aid/burser office of the college to see if the due date for tuition can become more "flexible" in your case. All they can say is no. Often times, you will have to pay for the tuition up front until you are medically cleared for the scholarship. Once that is completed, the unit can officially show you as being a scholarship recipient. This usually means the scholarship is applied and your account is reimbursed. Not ideal I know, but that is often the case when someone is waiting to be medically cleared.

There is still time as you have a month to go before it is due. Once the unit shows that you are a official recipient, than the colleges usually will wait for the money even after the due date because they know that the NROTC will be paying them at some point. They will wait for payment if you are official, but until then most colleges will not.

My DS is in a similar boat as he is waiting to hear if he got a side load this year which isn't decided for another week or so. That means he can't even start his DoDMERB process until August, so getting everything done and authorized by the time school starts is very unlikely. He will have to pay tuition this fall until everything is cleared and official.

Hopefully you will be cleared soon and you will not have to go down that route. Good luck.
 
Any discussions with anyone who asks me about ROTC Scholarships and going to out of state private (very expensive) schools is to ask them "can you and your family afford the cost of tuition without that scholarship? When we get into discussions, I always try and gently bring into the discussion that there are quite a few ways that even if you get that prized scholarship, that the student COULD run into problems.
1. Academic Issues, especially for engineering types
2. Physical Fitness issues (not meeting standards for fitness or weight)
3. Unit discipline issues (fighting, drinking especially underage, failure to maintain military bearing)

Any type of major medical issue is likely to be resolved with the student not owing anything to the service, unless it is involves misconduct. But if something akin to the above reasons happen the student could be on the hook to either the college or the service (or both). I have had discussions with members here, and friends looking for a way to join and get an education and I have seen the results of someone who chooses say and IVY League or expensive private school, ends up leaving (after being paid scholarship money) and suddenly gets notified that their scholarship is denied or cancelled and they now owe the school for last semester's tuition, and room and board!

I always try and make sure the student and families understand and take into account that "bad things can happen to good people" and to try and not start a career with a huge debt. Have a Plan B, and if waiting for a waiver, speak with the school, your unit, and your parents about options should that scholarship disappear. If possible, as a Freshman, see if the unit and school have any agreements regarding school based scholarships for that year while waiting, or if disenrolled for any reason continuing school there.
 
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