Army ROTC is the single largest source of scholarship money in the United States. Each year, the Army awards millions of dollars in scholarships to thousands of deserving students nationwide.
The Army awards scholarships based on applicant merit, not on financial need. Four-, three-, and two-year scholarships are available to qualified students.
Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship Program
The Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship program is available to students who have graduated from high school or possess an equivalent certificate before September of the year they enter college.
Students are awarded U.S. Army ROTC 4-year scholarships through a highly competitive national selection process. Scholarships pay up to $20,000 a year for college tuition and education fees, OR room and board, whichever is chosen by the student. An additional scholarship benefit is a designated book allowance. Army scholarship winners also receive a tax-free subsistence allowance which increases as they progress through Military Science, for up to 10 months for each year the scholarship is in effect. The Scholarship does not pay flight fees.
It is important that you contact the Army Professor of Military Science (PMS) early on in the application process at the universities you have an interest in to find out the number and types of scholarships that are available at that school. The number of scholarships at the individual universities are limited based on each school’s tuition cost (resident and nonresident). The allocations allow Army ROTC to send tomorrow’s Army officers to over 272 schools across the nation. After telephonic interviews are conducted, the individual universities hold selection boards and the PMS will select the individuals to be offered a scholarship to their school. Any offer of a scholarship is tied to the name of the university listed on your notification letter and cannot be used at another university.
NOTE: Limited numbers of 4-, 3-, and 2-year scholarships are available once a student is on campus. Applicants should check with the Professor of Military Science (PMS) once they are attending classes.
Scholarship recipients may not attend ROTC Leadership Training Course (LTC) for training experience. Attendance at LTC forfeits an individual’s eligibility for scholarship.
Scholarship students lead essentially the same life as other college students. You may pursue any course of study leading to a baccalaureate degree that is listed in the Approved Academic Disciplines List and you may engage in any activity that does not interfere with your ROTC requirements – which include prescribed Military Science Courses, participation in scheduled drill periods, and attending a 4-week ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) between your Junior and Senior years.
Upon successful completion of ROTC and baccalaureate degree requirements, you will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Active Army, Army Reserve, or the National Guard.
General Eligibility Requirements
You must meet the following general eligibility requirements to receive an Army ROTC scholarship.
- Be a United States citizen
- Be 17 years of age within the first semester of your freshman year, and must not reach your 31st birthday by 31 December of the year in which you will graduate from college and receive your commission
- Be a high school graduate or possess an equivalent certificate before September of the year you will enter college. If you are taking or have taken college courses, you must be considered a beginning Freshman and have 4 academic years remaining for a baccalaureate degree upon enrollment in the fall of the year you will enter college
- If you are in an accelerated program and will complete your senior year of high school and first year of college concurrently – you must have 4 academic years remaining in an approved baccalaureate degree program upon enrollment in the fall
- If you are a college freshman in a documented five year program with 4 years remaining in fall, you must submit verification from your university that your course of study is a five year program and that you will have four full years remaining. Contact the Army Professor of Military Science (PMS) at your university for a copy of a planned academic program worksheet
- Have no moral obligations or personal conviction that will prevent you from –
- Supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies – foreign and domestic
- Conscientiously bearing arms
- Satisfactorily explain any record of arrest and/or civil conviction
- Have a minimum high school GPA of 2.5
- Receive at least a minimum SAT score of 920 or an ACT composite score of 19
- All scholarship applicants’ physical ability must be assessed. We will request that your guidance counselor arrange for you to take The President’s Challenge Physical Fitness Test. The required information will be sent directly to your high school
Obligations
If you are selected for a U.S. Army ROTC scholarship, you are required to:
- Sign a contract with the Secretary of the Army. If you are 17 years of age when you enroll, your parents or guardian must also sign this contract. If you are 18 or older, only your signature is required. This contract contains a requirement to repay the United states Government for all financial assistance received if, after you begin your sophomore year, you fail to comply with the terms of the contract. This repayment may be monetary or in the form of enlisted service. The choice rests with the Army and not the scholarship cadet.
- Enlist in the U.S. Army Reserve for a period of 8 years. You must be 17 years of age in order to sign an enlistment contract
- Pursue the academic discipline (if applicable) identified in the letter that notifies you of your selection as a scholarship recipient. If you have indicated engineering, you must attend the accredited engineering school listed in your announcement letter. As a nurse scholarship recipient, you must attend the Designated Nursing Education School named in your announcement letter
- Attend the paid 4-week ROTC Leader Develpment and Assessment Course (LDAC) normally between your Junior and Senior years of college
- Accept a commission to serve on active duty or reserve duty (Army Reserve, or Army National Guard) upon completion of the required academic and ROTC courses
- Serve in the military for a period of 8 years. This may be fulfilled by:
- Serving on active duty, if selected, for 4 years followed by service in the Army National Guard (ARNG) or United States Army Reserve (USAR) or the inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) for the remainder of the 8-year obligation
- Serving 8 years in an ARNG or USAR Troop Program Unit which includes a 3 to 6 month active duty period for initial training
See the ROTC FAQ page for additional information regarding ROTC scholarships.
For more information about Army ROTC visit www.armyrotc.com or call 1-800-USA-ROTC.
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