614-404-0646
ROTC: What Do Families Need to Know
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps or ROTC is a nationwide leadership training and professional skills development program for full-time, college-enrolled students. Each branch (Army, Marine Corps, Navy Nurse Corps, Navy NROTC, Air Force AFROTC, and Space Force) has their own ROTC program.
Approximately 1,700 colleges and universities have ROTC programs. Click the link to search for a program:
After completion, students graduate with the rank of officer in their chosen branch. ROTC may provide students with scholarship opportunities. Cadets graduate with confidence as they strengthen their core values of honor, courage, and commitment.
Please note each branch’s program is unique.
For example, the Army’s ROTC allows students to enroll in a Basic Course during the first two years of college that does not obligate you to serve after graduation unless you earn a scholarship.
The details of each program can be found here:
Financial Assistance
Students can apply for highly competitive ROTC scholarships which can pay for full or partial tuition, fees, books, and a monthly stipend for four years. Candidates are required to complete active-duty service after their completion of school.
To maintain the scholarship throughout the four years of college, students may need to have the mandated course balance, major, and grade minimums. Note, the deadline to apply for a scholarship is the end of a high school senior’s fall semester. A student not awarded a scholarship their first year in college may still win one for one or more of their remaining years, so a student can keep trying.
The Coast Guard has a scholarship program called College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) for college juniors and seniors at Minority Serving Institutions.
Structured Path to Career and Other Benefits
One of the benefits of ROTC is the structured pathway to a career. ROTC provides students with professional opportunities including long-term guidance and continued professional education. Some ROTC programs do not require the study of a specific major.
Other ROTC benefits include stronger leadership skills, fitness challenges, friendships, learning new skills, strengthened teamwork, developed maturity, and increased confidence while still having the life of a typical college student.
What will an ROTC student do in the program?
The activities of an ROTC student will vary by branch and college attended. Students can expect classroom instruction, field training exercises, leadership labs, and physical fitness.
A summer training requirement may be necessary. A program may require certain courses like calculus, physics, English, etc. NROTC requires naval science courses. The Air Force requires a C- or higher in aerospace courses. Cadets will probably need to pass fitness tests—although each branch has their own structure for those tests.
How does a student join ROTC at their college?
Joining the ROTC is a separate process from applying for a scholarship, and students do not need to be scholarship recipients to join. Visit your college’s website for information about their process. Here is an example from Ohio State which requires enrolled students to select the necessary Army ROTC electives.
Is ROTC right for you?
If you are interested in serving your country, ROTC can be a great fit for you. Be sure you are ready for the commitment including demands on your free time, physical exertion, and extra coursework you will need to take. If you’re awarded a scholarship, be aware you will sign a legally binding contract that will require a commitment for many years after graduation. You must dedicate yourself to maintaining specific academic and disciplinary standards. Don’t join merely because of the potential for a scholarship. Join because you are very motivated to serve.
Enjoy this post? Don’t want to miss any future blogs about education, college, or careers?
614-404-0646