ROTC Scholarships
Army ROTC
Army ROTC is a college elective that teaches you the skills needed for a successful career and prepares cadets to become Army officers. The Army ROTC scholarship program provides financial assistance for the education and training of highly qualified and motivated young men and women who desire to be commissioned as officers in the Army National Guard after graduation from college.
Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Program
The Army ROTC program offers the Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) Program for cadets who want to serve in the Army National Guard or Army Reserve. The Program is designed to attract cadets who are interested in obtaining a commission in the Army National Guard or Army Reserves. Cadets electing the GRFD Program can compete for a GRFD Scholarship of up to two years that pays 100% of tuition and fees or room and board. The room and board option pays up to $10,000 per school year for those residing on-campus. Off-campus students who choose the room and board option receive an amount equal to the average room and board cost for an on campus student at their college or university. In addition, scholarship recipients receive a $1,200 annual allowance for books. Cadets are required to participate in the Simultaneous Membership Program, and may receive Montgomery GI Bill benefits if otherwise eligible. Upon graduation, cadets are commissioned and incur a military service obligation of eight years in the Army National Guard.
Dedicated Army National Guard Scholarships
There is also a scholarship program available for students wishing to serve exclusively in the Army National Guard. The Dedicated Army National Guard Scholarship Program offers ROTC scholarships of up to three years. Upon graduation and commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Army National Guard, scholarship recipients incur an eight-year military service obligation. This scholarship program pays 100 percent of tuition and fees or room and board . The room and board option pays up to $10,000 per school year for those residing on-campus. Off-campus students who choose the room and board option receive an amount equal to the average room and board cost for an on campus student at their college or university. In addition, scholarship recipients receive a $1,200 book allowance. Cadets are required to participate in the Simultaneous Membership Program. The Montgomery GI Bill may not be used with this program. Upon graduation, cadets are commissioned and incur a military service obligation of eight years in the Army National Guard.
Minuteman Scholarships
If you are interested in receiving an Army ROTC scholarship and commissioning into the Army National Guard, the Minuteman Scholarship provides you an excellent opportunity. Minuteman Scholarships cover 2, 3, or 4 years of full tuition and fees or $10,000 for room and board at colleges and universities served by an Army ROTC program.
ROTC Monthly Stipend
All cadets, including those not on Army ROTC scholarships, are eligible to start receiving a monthly tax-free allowance beginning when they sign an ROTC contract. Stipends are received over the 10 month academic period while the cadet is attending classes. The amount of the monthly stipend is $420.
Real World Example
Let’s look at how much an Army National Guard soldier can potentially earn while attending college full-time as an Army ROTC cadet.
Note: The following is an example of how one soldier paid for his college education. Steve joined the Guard while in high school and attended The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and was commissioned through the Princeton/TCNJ ROTC program. Steve is currently a Captain in the New Jersey Army National Guard. Steve’s tuition was waived while he attended Rutgers Law School and while he attend Rutgers-Camden for his MBA.
Steve will earn a monthly paycheck from the Army National Guard for drill and also receive pay for his two-week annual training. In four years he will earn about $12,000.
The Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve pays Steve $392 per academic month for up to 36 months. Under this program, Steve will earn over $13,000.
The Army National Guard also offers the Army National Guard Kicker for up to 36 months. This incentive is worth an additional $350 for 36 academic months. This equals $12,600.
Steve signs an ROTC contract at the beginning of his junior year and begins to receive a monthly stipend from the ROTC program. The stipend is $420 per academic month. Total benefit is $8,400.
As a contracted ROTC cadet, Steve gets a book allowance of $1,200 per academic year. Total for his junior and senior year is $2,400.
Steve attends a New Jersey state college and receives 100% free tuition. Over four years this benefit could be well over $40,000. Plus this benefit extends to graduate programs.
Just prior to his junior year, Steve makes a commitment to accept a commission as an Army National Guard officer when he graduates. For this commitment Steve is eligible for a GRFD scholarship. He can use this scholarship for tuition or for room and board. Since Steve is already getting 100% free tuition he chooses the room and board option. The room and board option is worth up to $10,000 per year.
Since Steve is also a fully-qualified member of the Army National Guard he is eligible for up to $50,000 under the Student Loan Repayment Program. In Steve’s case, he does not utilize this benefit since he never has to take out any student loans. However, other applicants who join the Guard after receiving disbursed loans may be eligible.
This could be you
Contact our ROTC Liaison to get more information on Army ROTC.