I'm a rising sophomore, contracted on a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship.

If I drop ROTC after beginning sophomore year in Sept I know I will need to pay back any scholarship tuition money I receive going forward. However, is there any chance they will also require me to pay back freshman year?

(I recognize that freshman year is definitely not paid back for those who drop prior to sophomore year. Just making sure I don't lose this free year if I drop ROTC anytime over the next 3 yrs of college.)

Thank you!

How much do branches take into account job experience?

Gonna try to branch finance in the guard (minuteman) but I am an average cadet. Not the best physically but high GPA and a good amount of experience with 365 and power platform via practical applications in a job.

Does experience carry the same weight as OML or is OML still the end all factor? More of a question of how the guard actually ranks cadets.

If I submit my Green to Gold application with 44 college credits, can I continue taking classes while my application is being processed and submit an updated transcript with my new credits?

So I recently commissioned from the ECP route and wanted to know what is recommended to do. I been trying my best to explain how EAP works and trying to figure out if is going to be worth it to go out of state or stay in state. At the moment I’m trying to figure out how to make it work in Mississippi, but looking into going back to Florida. Any tips with EAP ? And is it better to do room and board or do 100% tuition assistance?

Hello, I’m hoping there is someone here that can give me some guidance. I want to commission as an officer in the Army. However, I’m 28 and have three classes left to finish my associate degree for surgical Technology. My plan originally was to get my bachelor’s in healthcare management or something similar then commission but now I’m wondering if ROTC would be a possibility. I do already have a civilian career as a surgical technologist that’s I’ve done for 8 years.
How would I go about doing that? Also, could I commission as National Guard or would I have to do Active Duty? Lastly, could I get a scholarship to finish my degree?

Thanks!

m currently on a 4-year scholarship and contracted last semester. I was wondering if I would lose my benefits (tuition, stipend, etc.) if I needed to undergo a minor distal biceps repair surgery. My surgeon stated it's not absolutely necessary for my lifestyle, and I already have been cleared

I would likely be out for most or all of the semester, although I am planning to be abroad during that time anyway. I attend a relatively expensive school in CA, so I’m trying to avoid a situation where I either have to pay out of pocket for a semester or delay my studies.

Has anyone been through a similar situation? I want to make sure I understand how this might affect my benefits before making any crazy decisions.

Hi all! This year I won the 4-year army rotc scholarship for nursing school. I got medically DQed and i’m waiting on instructions for my waiver because of my history in anxiety in 2024. I had a lot of things going on in my life and it was sophomore year in highschool during finals so i was super stressful. I attended therapy in 2024 and 2022 after a school shooting for 5-6 visits each year. I was marked as no risk by all my therapists/doctors in their notes and have never had any documented thoughts or attempts at suicidal ideation. I also never went on any medication.

What are my chances on my waiver getting passed? Especially since it was over two years ago with little intervention? I imagine the psych evaluation they send for me will go smoothly and I’m in a lot better of a place mentally than what I was at this time. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

I have really been suffering with my mental health since last year due to struggling with the stress and depression i’ve accrued from school and my over life and I want to go get perscribed antidepressants from a doctor but I recieve STR and FTAs from ROTC and I don’t want to lose those and jeopardize it because I really need it, I just want to know the process if I were to get prescribed medication. Is it tedious and will it jeopardize getting my money?

Hi, I’m a 3 year Army ROTC scholarship winner but I didn’t get in to any of the schools I won the scholarship for or any at all. I was planning to take a gap year then the ROTC team reached out to notify me of schools still taking late applications. One of the schools provided great benefits so I emailed their ROO and I later got accepted! The last hurdle is transferring the scholarship so I requested to transfer it and uploaded my documents. However, 15 days later and no update. I know it takes a while (up to a few months as in some cases) as it’s a long process but i’ve emailed the ROTC scholarships email twice and messaged them as well with no reply. It is really late in the college process so could that be a reason or does it usually take at least 2 weeks for a scholarship to transfer? I am transferring within the same brigade and the new school is a little cheaper (private to private). I just want some clarity or an estimate of when I would hear back. If anyone else had a similar experience please share and thank you!

I know everyone thinks their situation is unique but I have not heard a situation quite like mine. I was an MS4 this past year. The start of this past semester I was put back on ADHD medication by a psychiatrist. I have previously disclosed that I had had a previous diagnosis as I had to get a waiver in order to receive my scholarship. I am also an S&P cadet. I also got in trouble with school and I ended up resigning from college about two months after the medical determination started. The psychiatrist stated in the letter that it is “chronic” and requires “long term treatment. This was initiated originally at the beginning of April and still haven’t heard anything back. I also received a performance counseling DA 4856 I believe is what it was called. That said that I had previously failed height and weight however that was remediated and that participation in class felt forced and that I got back on ADHD medication, which was a breach of contract. Just looking for any advice or insight of what the future is going to look like regarding scholarship payback and/or possible enlistment service. Also, what is the typical turnaround time if the medical determination is still the prevalent thing going on the counseling and the medical determination obviously have nothing to do with the resigning from college side because that came after the medical determination and the counseling. But what is the typical turnaround time for a medical determination for ADHD medication currently being taken and diagnosed? Thanks

Yo heard from my boys it's a blood bath this summer. 60% fail rate with tons of safety fails. Also a poor soldier tumbled from the top of an obstacle needing life flight.

This normal? Or is this course really this hard?

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Basically, I dislocated my shoulder in January, which most likely caused a labrum tear. I did PT for a couple of months, but I feel like it will never be the same without surgery.

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I've been out of PT for the entire semester in hopes that it would recover on its own, but my shoulder still isn't 100%. I contract in August as a sophomore, and while I'm definitely able to pass every event, I'm worried about what the future holds for my shoulder.

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I want to get labrum surgery so I don't have to keep dealing with this issue, but recovery takes roughly 3–6 months before returning to light workouts and 9–12 months before full, unrestricted training. I'm wondering what that would look like from an ROTC standpoint. If I get the surgery as soon as I'm contracted, I should be able to start PT and rehab during the following semester (I'll already be abroad during the fall semester). How would that affect my status and training timeline? Mainly asking for those who went through similar issues.

Seeking advice: SMP/DODMERB waiver denial for ocular hypertension

I am entering my sophomore year and was pursuing the SMP program for financial assistance. Unfortunately, my medical waiver for ocular hypertension/glaucoma suspect has been denied twice. My PMS has advised me that an approval is unlikely and that Cadet Command would likely deny the waiver as well, primarily due to concerns about deployability and my daily reliance on eye drops.

I recently spoke with a Coast Guard recruiter who suggested that Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) might lower my eye pressure enough to eliminate the need for daily drops, potentially making me eligible for a waiver. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation regarding ocular conditions and ROTC medical waivers? Is it worth pursuing the SLT procedure to try and salvage my commissioning path, or should I accept the DODMERB outcome? Any advice or insight into the waiver process for this condition would be greatly appreciated.

I received a four-year Army ROTC scholarship and was accepted to USC (University Southern California). I also received an appointment to West Point. My goals are to become an Army officer while also pursuing the premed path, and I’m honestly torn between the two options because both are incredible opportunities.
I’m trying to figure out which path would be the better fit long term. I would truly appreciate any advice or insight.

So Im a junior in high school right now, and I have asthma, but I very much want to join ROTC for the army in college. Grades won't be a problem at all, and I'm big and pretty athletic so I should be okay in all other departments, but I have cold induced asthma after I run for a while (walking or jogging is fine). It really only triggers when it's real cold outside, and I want to give myself the best chance at joining. I was diagnosed with asthma at age 5 and have pretty consistently had symptoms in cold air, but other than that I dont have any​​ problems. I also used to have food allergies but went to a place called Allergy Released Technique in Burlington ​Massachusetts that actually cured them, and made my asthma much better (sounds made up but I promise it works). I've never been hospitalized with asthma, and ​the last time I used my inhaler is when I was really, really sick this winter with some kind of lung infection. I heard somewhere that doing your first 2 years of ROTC and then taking my medical exam would be the best route because they're more likely to take me after they invested time into me, but I swear all of the things I hear are either telling me I'm guaranteed to get in or I have zero chance at all. Please give me some good advice, thanks

anyone going first reg for cst. also looking for any advice or tips going in?

so heres my situation I am soon going to have a mortgage I am in the national guard almost two years and I have 65 collage credits. I planned on working at the local prison 6pm to 6am. I am fully online for my classes but rotc is it doable to do this my rotc classes are 10am lab is 2pm. advice would be great.

So long story short I absolutely suck at the two mile and I am from higher elevations in Utah. I was just curious of how different is it performing physically in Fort Knox where it’s lower elevation compared to Utah.

I am a rising sophomore and have secured a paid part-time job as a chemistry tutor at my university. How would I report this to my cadre and do I have to do so every semester I have it? What OML sections does it count for since I heard you can get points for a “peer leader” or something as well as a P/T job?

Might catch a lot of heat here but….it has always been a belief of mine that every. single. officer. Regardless of commissioning source (ROTC, West Point, OCS, green to gold….etc) should be REQUIRED to complete basic training. Advanced Camp barely scratches the surface of soldier tasks. Basic training teaches service members how to react under pressure using factors such as little sleep, screaming at you, no phones or outside contact….to better replicate conditions that yours most likely to be in.

Not only that, but think about who taught you tactics. Most likely an MS IV who also had never been to basic, and has never been taught the correct way to do tactics. It’s better to be taught by a SSG of SFC who’s actually been to combat than someone who hasn’t and you learn how to have respect for subordinates.

How do I maximize my chances of getting a pilot slot? I would be happy to fly anything anywhere