<p>Since I am not really well-associated with the way ROTC works in college and what involvement implies at that point, I wanted to ask those of you out there involved in such programs whether the involvement was worth the agreement to serve and whether anyone knows of a way to get scholarships based on high school involvement in ROTC without having mandatory service commissions after scholarships?....Also, like I said, I know practically nothing on this subject of college ROTC as a whole, so any info you may be able to offer that you think could be a weight in decisions to pursue or even just handy FYIs would be very much appreciated...</p>
<p>polit, I am retired Air Force officer and a former AFROTC commander. You can be involved with ROTC without a commitment. We had cadets who were members of our Detachment that were not on scholarship. Typically the cadets that were not under contract were freshmen and sophomores. However, you cannot take a ROTC scholarship without a commitment. If you apply, compete and win a ROTC scholarship this fall/winter and are awarded a scholarship in the spring, you don't have to take it. However, once you sign the contract and use the money, you will have a commitment. My advice--compete for a scholarship and see how it goes. If you win a ROTC scholarship, you can compare it to all your other merit aid offers and make your decision. There is no pressure. If you decide not to compete for a scholarship and the college you ultimately attend has a ROTC unit, you can still join ROTC to see if you like it or not without a commitment. Just don't sign any contracts before you are ready. ROTC is not for everyone, but for those who take advantage of it, it is a fantastic deal. The basic most common commitment is 5 years. If you go into any specialty training (pilot or navigator) the commitment is more. I think the commitment is well worth it. I had a great experience in the Air Force. As far as scholarships for high school ROTC involvement only, I do believe there are some. Your local American Legion and VFW may give out scholarships based on your high school ROTC involvement that will not involve any commitments. Look on FastWeb for veteran or military organizations that sponsor scholarships. I once belonged to a military pilots fraternity that gave away $5000 each year to a high school graduate aspiring to become a military pilot. There was no commitment or requirement to go into the military or ROTC at the college level. As you probably know, Jr ROTC at the high school level is often a recruiting ground for enlisted positions in the military. ROTC at the college level has the single purpose of commissioning you as an Officer in that respective military branch. There is a big difference. Good luck.</p>
<p>Lukester gave you sound advice. I have heard that the military recruiters are beginning to market to younger students. These contracts are serious and if you take their scholarship you have an obligation to serve. That obligation will not go away when you graduate even if you are married and being offerred a great job someplace else. If you don't want military service then you could investigate Americorp, a volunteer organization that offers some stipend for college after you are done working in low income American communities, helping disater victims and the like. Everyone should serve this country and there are numerous ways to meet that obligation.</p>
<p>thank u both very much for ur advice....it is very helpful in my search for perspective on all of this....i didn't mention this before, but this search isn't for me per se but for my boyfriend/best friend who is currently looking for different college funding options (I already have another thread on his behalf elsewhere, but i felt that since ROTC is his main pursuit right now, it deserved its own place to be explored)....all of ur input has been wonderful, and I hope anyone else who has ANYTHING to offer, whether it be knowledge, experience, or just preference on whether or not to pursue these sorts of scholarships would be just as warmly accepted...</p>