Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program

ROTC offers a competitive scholarship program that can make education affordable and help advance a student’s personal and professional goals. It is offered at many traditional four-year colleges and universities, senior military colleges (all branches except the Coast Guard) and junior military colleges (Army and Navy ROTC only). While it can vary by college and branch, each ROTC program will include some form of classroom instruction, field training exercises, leadership labs and physical fitness.

ROTC General Scholarship Requirements

The requirements for the scholarship may differ by Service branch, however, to qualify for an ROTC scholarship, the applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen

• be at least 17 years of age

• have a high school GPA of at least 2.50 (3.0 for Air Force)

• have a high school diploma or equivalent

• submit ACT or SAT scores

• meet physical standards

• agree to accept a commission and serve as an active-duty service member or in the Reserve or Guard

Applications are typically submitted by the end of the first semester of a high school student’s senior year.

ROTC Programs Across the Services

ROTC programs are offered by the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force. It is designed to instill cadets with confidence as they strengthen their core values of honor, courage and commitment.

The Coast Guard does not offer ROTC, but it does have a similar scholarship program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI). This program is for students who demonstrate academic and leadership excellence and a desire to serve in the Coast Guard.