When seeking admission into the ROTC program, making the application correctly and on time increases the chances of being selected. You must also have met all requirements and taken the right steps to prepare for enrollment. If you are pursuing an ROTC scholarship, read on to learn how and when to apply for it.
Application Requirements
Before applying for the ROTC scholarship, it is important to ensure that you meet all the requirements. Although there may be slight variations between the military branches, ROTC scholarship applicants must meet some basic criteria.
- Applicants must be citizens of the United States
- Applicants must be high school graduates, having attained the minimum GPA and ACT/SAT scores indicated by the specific military branches.
- Meet the minimum age requirement, which is 17 years.
- Applicant must ensure that they are physically fit and that they meet the fitness requirements indicated by the military branch into which they desire to enroll
While some applicants seek to enroll into the ROTC as a means of getting into the military, others do so to have their college tuition taken care of through scholarships and benefits available for ROTC graduates. However, it is important to understand that pursuing an ROTC scholarship comes with responsibility. For example, it comes with a legally binding contract obligating you to fulfill active duty service once you graduate. This calls for a serious consideration of whether you are willing to dedicate 3 to 12 years to serve in the military.
While you prepare for the actual application, express your interest at the local military recruitment office, as early as you can, preferably during your junior year of high school. Consideration is given to students pursuing subjects that would be of value to the military.
How and When to Apply
Once you are sure that you satisfy the requirements for your preferred specific military branch and that the ROTC program is appropriate for what you want to achieve in life, you can visit any of the military branch websites or visit their specific local recruiting offices in your locality. Students who wish to apply to the Marine Corps ROTC scholarship should do so through the Navy ROTC.
On the application form, you are requested to list a minimum of seven colleges that you wish to attend, in order of preference. If you want to apply to a college that does not have an ROTC program but is collaborating with a host program, it is imperative that you know that you may have to drive to the host campus many times a week to attend classes.
The deadlines for application differ between the branches but typically, applications open on June 1 before senior year and close from January 12 of senior year. If you are successful, you are awarded a scholarship to one of the preferred colleges you indicated in your application.
Preparation for an application to the ROTC program and its scholarship benefits begins in high school. However, for the actual application, interested persons only have to visit specific military branch websites, fill and submit their applications before the deadline.
