Scholarships

Army ROTC awards hundreds of scholarships, available at over 600 schools. Army ROTC scholarships pay full tuition and required fees. They’re awarded on merit – like academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal interviews. Scholarship winners receive a stipend of $420 for each academic month, plus an allowance for books and other educational items. If you’re a non-scholarship student, you can still receive the stipend as a contracted Cadet. If you’re selected to receive a scholarship, you will have a commitment to the Army after completing the program. You can fulfill the commitment by either serving as an officer part time in the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, or full time on active duty.

Note: First step for any of the below scholarships is to contact the Career and Scholarship Advisor at Phone: (805) 258-3357or Email: kharri19@calpoly.edu

Additional information can be located at www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.html.

• High School Students (Four-Year Scholarships)
  • High school students planning to attend a four-year college program can apply for a scholarship through the U.S. Army Cadet Command website.
  • Students can submit an application through the national scholarship process upon receiving final high school junior grades. Army ROTC will begin awarding scholarships as early as November of the student’s senior year of high school. The deadline to submit an application is traditionally January 10th each year.
  • Steps to follow for consideration of the 4-year high school scholarship:
    1. Complete the online application
    2. Submit High School transcripts and ROTC Physical Fitness Assessment results to U.S. Army Cadet Command.
    3. Complete an interview with the Professor of Military Science (senior Army officer in charge of the college program).Interviews can be set up by contacted the program’s Recruiting Officer. The interview can be conducted at the school closest to your residence; it does not have to be the school you are interested in attending.

• Minuteman / GRFD (Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty)
  • Minuteman (4, 3, or 2 Year Scholarships): The four-year National Guard (NG) and Reserve option was initiated in 2015.  There are limited allocations (4) per state and USAR Major Subordinate Command (MSC) and are awarded to the best qualified applicants.  Although these scholarships were designed for soldiers currently serving in NG or Reserve units they can be awarded to candidates that are willing to serve once the scholarship is offered. 

    • Note: Receiving a nomination letter for a minuteman scholarship from your NG or Reserve representative is only the first step to winning the scholarship.  You must complete the “Steps to follow for consideration of the GRFD scholarship” listed below to be considered for a scholarship award. Receiving an award letter from the Cadet Command Commanding General means you have an ROTC scholarship.

  • Two-Year and Three-Year GRFD Scholarships: The Two and Three-years GRFD scholarship can be awarded to soldiers currently serving in NG / Reserve units or an ROTC candidate willing to serve in the NG / Reserves while in school and after commissioning as an officer.
  • Steps to follow for consideration of the GRFD scholarship:
    1. Complete the “ROTC Contracting Packet” and submit to your ROTC classroom instructor or ROTC recruiting officer.
    2. Receive a nomination letter from your current NG/Reserve commander; those not currently serving must work through a local NG/Reserve recruiter to identify a unit commander is willing to accept them as a Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) candidate.  A specific formatted letter is required for reserve soldiers (Letter of Acceptance).
       • Please contact our Recruiting Operations Officer to get in touch with recruiters, Ken Harris: (805) 258-3357 or kharri19@calpoly.edu
    3. Receive a signed SMP agreement from your respective unit commander.
       • National Guard – NGB Form 594-1 (dated March 2014)
       • Reserve – Formatted Letter of Acceptance and a DA form 4824-R(dated Apr 2005)
    4. Complete the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB) medical examinations; you must be qualified for both.
    5. Conduct a scholarship interview with the ROTC Recruiting Officer. Upon completion your file will be reviewed and presented before a scholarship board. If approved an application will be submitted to the 8th ROTC Brigade Commander for verification. The Commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command is the final approving authority for the ROTC scholarship.
    6. Once approved the Cadet will sign the ROTC scholarship contract (DA form 597-1) and Enlistment contract (DD 4/1 & 4/2).

• Line Scholarships (Awarded to on-campus college ROTC cadets)
  • Line scholarships are awarded to ROTC candidates that are considering serving on Active Duty upon commissioning as an officer. Cadets awarded a line scholarship will compete for active duty through the accessions process; the Accession Process is conducted during the students senior year of ROTC and is designed to compare ROTC Cadet performance among their peers, resulting with a national Order of Merit (OML). The OML is a tool to assign newly commissioned officers on Active Duty or Reserve Duty, as well as allocating job assignments (Officer branching).
  • Like all scholarships, the ROTC Line Scholarships are awarded based on merit and will be offered to the most qualified candidates.
  • Steps to follow for consideration of the Line scholarship:
    1. Complete the “ROTC Contracting Packet” and submit to your ROTC classroom instructor or ROTC recruiting officer.
    2. Complete the "Scholarship Board File" and submit to your ROTC classroom instructor or ROTC recruiting officer.
    3. Complete the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB) medical examinations; you must be identified as qualified by DODMERB. This exam will be scheduled through the ROTC Human Resource Administration (HRA) personnel.
    4. Conduct a scholarship interview with the ROTC Recruiting Officer. Upon completion your file will be reviewed and presented before a scholarship board. If approved an application will be submitted to the 8th ROTC Brigade Commander for verification. The Commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command is the final approving authority for the ROTC scholarship.
    5. Once approved the Cadet will sign the ROTC scholarship contract (DA form 597-1) and Enlistment contract (DD 4/1 & 4/2).
    6. Cadets already serving in the NG or USAR will have to get a signed DD form 368 from their unit before they can be awarded a line scholarship.

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Scholarships
  • Specialty scholarship are awarded to students interested in pursuing one of the degree fields considered to be in the STEM category. Often Cadet Command will set aside additional funds and award scholarships in this category even when scholarships are limited. They are awarded based on merit and will be offered to the most qualified candidates.
  • Candidates interested in competing for a STEM scholarship will follow the steps outlined in either the Line or GRFD scholarship sections above; this will be based on the student’s preference for service (Active duty or NG/Reserves).

 

Note: First step for any of the above scholarships is to contact the Recruiting Operations Officer at Phone: (805) 258-3357 or Email: kharri19@calpoly.edu