<p>Sorry - I will be more specific and say that many NROTC students study Engineering. I still am not certain of what the definition of a Tier one school is. I thought TAMU was considered a Tier One school.</p>
<p>
Yes. I have spoken to a number (more than three) of PMS personnel and ALL have indicated that the interview portion of the process was critical for being selected. Have you or ANYONE on this thread heard, read or spoken to anyone that has said something different? Are you aware of anyone that has NOT been recommended by the ROTC interviewer receiving a scholarship? If that incorrect (IMHO) information came from the PMS…no need for the poster to personalize or take responsibility for something that was told to her / him. They were just passing on what was told to them. I made my point as clearly as possible without intentionally stepping on the toes of the person who I believe posted SOME incorrect information. If that offends you, the person who made the post or anyone else…too bad. Perhaps you should take your own advice before beginning a flame war unnecessarily. “It’s a shame…”</p>
<p>
Top 50%. I think a college can be both a Tier 1 school and a SMC. Or maybe expressed differently, schools (such as Texas A&M) can be a SMC AND one of the best universities in the US (at least according to USN&WR). </p>
<p>[Frequently</a> Asked Questions: Rankings - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2009/08/19/frequently-asked-questions-rankings.html#13]Frequently”>http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2009/08/19/frequently-asked-questions-rankings.html#13)</p>
<p>Trying to step into this little flare-up without getting burnt…</p>
<p>Looking at what we are trying to do - share feedback we get from various sources (PMS’s, Cadet Command, previous scholarship winners, etc.) and our analysis of that feedback (I am as guilty of that as any here), I think we often will get conflicting information.</p>
<p>What do I base that on? Feedback that I’ve received from a PMS discussing how the Cadre at one unit discuss what they think is going on at Cadet Command. </p>
<p>What does this tell me? While they have some insight into some aspects of the process (more than we do), their experience is just that - their experience. </p>
<p>And as we are often reminded here at CC - the plural of anecdote is not necessarily data. And incomplete data often point in opposite directions.</p>
<p>So when we do post, lets try to clarify what is directly attributable to a source from our own analysis therof. And when we post seemingly conflicting data, let’s ponder why the data don’t necessarily agree without questioning the source of the data except to ask for a clarification.</p>
<p>No need for anyone here to let the anxiety of the wait (got plenty of that myself) turn into unproductive flak.</p>
<p>
Amen.
10 char</p>
<p>First, this is a great forum. I have learned a lot by going through the history. </p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone has insight into how ROTC scholarships are combined with other scholarships. My daughter’s second choice school has offered her a merit scholarship that would pay about 60% of the annual estimated cost. If ROTC also gave her a scholarship for tuition, the combined total would be more than the estimated annual cost of the college. Does anyone know if that would be allowed by ROTC? Do they care?</p>
<p>Your daughter is not going to be paid to go to school. sorry.
Your really should talk to the college thought. ROTC pays tuition - at some schools the merit scholarship can only be used for tuition, not room and board.<br>
Generally, ROTC will count first, then other aid. If a merit scholarship can be used for room and board and other expenses it will likely be reduced. and taxable.
BTW - which branch ROTC?</p>
<p>Mariner,</p>
<p>JAM is correct in that a school will not award you FA in excess of COA. However, if you bring outside scholarships (that do not stipulate they are specifically for tuition only) you can theoretically exceed the COA. A very rare situation, one that we would theoretically be in, if goaliegirl desired to attend a university where I my dependents would receive a 50% tuition discount (not a scholarship) in addition to our state’s lottery scholarship (not required to be used for tuition). However, due to her stated objective (varsity D3 goaltending) this is not a possibility. I am behind her on that, as I know my daughter and respect her objective.</p>
<p>You should ask the school in question’s FA office what their policy is with regards to that scholarship. You will find one of 2 policies typically. </p>
<p>Most schools (this is what we’ve found in the private schools we asked) are need-aware in their awarding of “merit” scholarships in that these schools will cap their award at what they would award you (including loans) - typically COA - EFC. For many, since their EFC > Room and Board costs, this would in effect wipe out any merit aid. To top it off, they will also include the stipend in calculating this number (expecting you to pay R&B out of your stipend).</p>
<p>The other policy I’ve heard about (not from our list of schools) is where the merit money is awarded to all students achieving X criteria (NMF, Val/Sal, etc.). You’ll find these more often at public institutions. In the fine print, they will mention that awards cannot exceed the COA when combined with other scholarships (i.e. Pell grants, outside scholarships, etc.) You won’t get paid to go to school in this scenario either, but it would be a complete full-ride. However, these schools may also include the stipend when calculating how much to give.</p>
<p>To answer your last couple questions. ROTC would not know nor care. It is up to the school to regulate FA awards.</p>
<p>I would definitely give the FA office a call and ask what their policies are. Can’t hurt and knowing upfront is better than the little surprises later.</p>
<p>And one more thought, Mariner…</p>
<p>Accept the merit scholarship and if the FA policies dictate that they cannot pay it, ask them to defer the award money for future year consideration. This would be a great insurance policy in case your daughter is injured or ill in such a way that she could not keep her ROTC scholarship, or even if she changes her mind after the first year (no committment required until year 2 on ROTC 4-year scholarships).</p>
<p>all the above (regarding additional scholarship) is correct. On top of that, there are universities that provide free room and board for ROTC national scholarship winners. If a ROTC scholarship winners go to these universities, they are getting essentially full ride treatment. Some universities give partial room & board (either only room or board, or, just $X, where X is lower than the combined room & board expense).</p>
<p>Thanks for the great input. For clarification, the scholarship structure is the second scenario that Goaliedad mentioned. We’ll check the fine print and I suspect Goaliedad is right that the total cannot exceed the COA. I think that Goaliedad is right that it makes most sense to take all the merit schoarship because it would not have to be repaid if ROTC did not work out for some reason.</p>
<p>Mariner116 - Goaliedad is correct - the school will not allow her to have funds that exceed the COA. Not sure which branch of ROTC she is applying for but - to take the Merit over the ROTC for at least the first year may be a good plan. You can also talk to admissions/financial aid and see if the Merit can be kept in a back pocket should ROTC fall though, i.e. your daughter becomes medically unqualified etc. </p>
<p>Any scholarships that are used to provide room and board are taxable income. For instance, if she received full tuition from ROTC and a $10,000 merit that went toward her room and board that $10,000 is taxable income. </p>
<p>The other issue is that if she doesn’t accept the ROTC scholarship she won’t be contracted. If that is something that is important to her in her first two years, she needs to consider that.
Finally - if the merit is full tuition, the ROTC is a better deal; as they also throw in book money and a monthly stipend (non-taxable).
The best advice would be to talk to the folks in admission and in ROTC at the school and have them lay it out for you.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the comments. To JustAMomOf4, my daughter has applied to Army ROTC.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D, Mariner116. Welcome to the thread. Here, have a TUMS. ;)</p>
<p>DB, can I get some TUMS too? ;)</p>
<p>Mariner116 -
Definitely talk to the PMS at the school where your daughter has a merit scholarship. Don’t quote me on this but I recall hearing that the AROTC scholarship can be used for EITHER tuition OR room & board. I think some kids do this when they go to a state school where tuition is cheaper than room and board.
If this is possible then she can use the scholarship for tuition and have the Army cover her room and board. Sweet deal.</p>
<p>Junior daughter is interested in Airforce ROTC. Texas A&M and Virginia Tech are unusual because of corps of cadets. Texas A & M has a special sleepover night for Civil Air Patrol types. One night per semester. Can’t decide if it is worth the hassle to travel then. Anybody with experience? </p>
<p>Also, we expect ROTC money to be slim for her because she’ll be majoring in languages not engineering/science. Anybody have experience with Air Force express scholarships for languages? Brochure says to contact each detachment. I’m thinking that would be an efficient way to introduce herself?</p>
<p>
We were also told this by a LTC PMS just a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, at least in the college my daughter is interested in attending, we couldn’t use the merit aid the college was offering for room & board and the ROTC scholarship (if she is awarded one) for tuition (much larger $ than room & board).</p>
<p>Regarding merit scholarship + ROTC. My S did get paid to go to sch. sort of. He had a NROTC scholarship + 2 merit scholarships from the Univ. One merit was an endowed departmental award, the other was a general university merit award. The departmental one was the larger of the two. I informed the head of the dept. about the ROTC scholy and his reply was “That’s OK. We like for them to be able to eat and sleep too”. </p>
<p>His freshman year, the merits all totaled up to cover room and board while the NROTC covered tuition,fees,books,uniforms.<br>
He moved off campus soph. yr. Every subsequent yr. after freshman yr., the amt. of the endowed deparatmental scholarship increased leaving extra money. </p>
<p>At his university ( a big state u.), all scholarship monies are sent to the students acct. at the cashiers office. Then when the bills came due, the cashiers office doled it out to pay off all S owed to the university and sent the leftover money to his checkiing acct. He used the merit scholarships to pay for his off campus room and board. It was all taxable of course.
I guess it might now work that way everywhere but at his sch. there were no strings attached to how the merit monies were used. Once he earned the scholarships they were his. At big state u’s where the majority of kids live off campus, it would be impossible to know the room and board total of every kid with scholarships. Dorms and meal plans usually cost more than off campus housing.
The moral of the story is…it never hurts to ask.</p>
<p>
If my daughter is fortunate to receive a scholarship…we will definitely ask / negotiate. Although her top choice is a private, the Tuition plus R&B is almost 50k per year. Somebody in FA should be appreciative of the 37K contribution from ROTC and cut us a brake on the 11K R&B costs. Fortunately there are other colleges to choose from if one is not willing to be helpful.</p>