The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) trains college students to become commissioned officers of the U.S. Armed Forces. ROTC students take military science courses in addition to their regular college courses. They also receive officer training and participate in drills during the academic year and training during the summer.
These students may receive ROTC scholarships covering all or part of tuition, required fees and textbooks, plus a monthly living expense stipend, for one, two, three or four years of college (five years for students majoring in engineering), in exchange for a military service commitment. The service commitment depends on whether the ROTC scholarship recipient will receive a regular appointment or a reserve appointment, and can include four years of service on active duty. Students may try ROTC for a year without incurring a military service commitment.
Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship, age restrictions, having a high school diploma, achieving and maintaining an acceptable level of academic performance (including a specified grade point average (GPA) and particular SAT/ACT test scores) and passing physical fitness standards.
More information may be obtained from each service’s recruiting program:
- Army: 1-800-USA-ROTC (1-800-872-7682)
- Navy: 1-800-USA-NAVY (1-800-872-6289)
- Air Force: 1-866-423-ROTC (1-800-423-7682)
- Marines: 1-800-MARINES (1-800-627-4637)
