Citizenship Status:

• • Verify if you are eligible to serve based on your citizenship status. 

Medical Requirements:

• • Review the military's medical standards to ensure you meet health qualifications. 

Military Academies:

• • If interested in a commission as an officer, explore options for attending a military academy like West Point or Annapolis. 

Research and Contact a Recruiter:

• • Explore different branches of the military to understand their missions, culture, and potential career paths. 

  • Reach out to a recruiter from your preferred branch to discuss options and eligibility requirements. 

Academic Preparation:

• Maintain good grades in high school to meet academic eligibility standards. 

• Consider taking challenging courses in math and science if you're interested in technical military roles. 

• Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to assess your aptitude for different military jobs. 

• Your ASVAB score will help determine which military occupational specialties (MOS) you qualify for. 

Physical Fitness:

• • Regularly engage in physical activity to build strength and endurance, preparing for the military's physical fitness test. 

  • Participate in sports or exercise programs that focus on core strength, cardiovascular health, and flexibility. 

Education & Financial Benefits

Students who join ROTC can apply for a scholarship. The scholarship covers full or partial cost of tuition, fees and books as well as a monthly stipend for four years. These benefits are in exchange for mandatory active-duty service after completing ROTC. Academic advisors and on-campus ROTC recruiters will be able to answer questions about these benefits and expectations.

Professional Development

ROTC provides the opportunity to develop a professional foundation of technical and leadership skills that can benefit your future no matter what you decide to do. The program provides a structured, proven path to a career after college, including long-term guidance and continued professional education.

Becoming an Officer

When students accept an ROTC scholarship, complete the program and graduate from their college or university, they are commissioned as officers in the Military. Officers oversee and are directly responsible for leading service members under them in the chain of command. Typically, officers are employed in management roles or highly specialized fields that require professional degrees.

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.

Learn More at www.todaysmilitary.com/education-training/rotc-programs