<p>Hello! I've been lurking on this forum for quite some time and I'm just in desperate need of advice here. I'm an incoming senior this year in a small town Iowa high school. 3.9 GPA 24 ACT (will be taking again), taking 4 years of science, math, and foreign language. I've recently started looking into the military as a way to help with college. More than that though I see it as a way to better myself and I've always been interested in that sort of stuff. The Air Force seems the best fit for me. I'm not a very physically active person but am willing to become one. My interests don't lie in a technical field, more so in the business/finance sector. However, I think I would like some excitement in my career, also not just sitting behind a desk day in and day out. I'm seriously considering AFROTC at Iowa State, but am worried that I wouldn't get selected for field training and in turn commissioned as an officer. I know I don't have a shot at a scholarship coming out of high school as I haven't done a whole lot during HS besides a club and a few volunteer hours. But during college I hope to become more involved. I'm open to other branches mainly Army. I don't want to be stuck on a ship for 6 months at a time in the Navy. I feel like I have to go military some way or another because I know if I don't I will wonder for the rest of my life "what if I did?" </p>
<p>Also, I think I would like to run my own business one day...maybe a restaurant. Do you think that would be possible if I decided to make the military a career? </p>
<p>Sorry for the long post. It really boils down to this: I want to be an officer in the Air Force. Should I take my chances with ROTC, or enlist and get my degree while in the service?
If I graduate from ROTC without a scholarship, is college tuition on me?</p>
<p>From what I understand of ROTC (never been in ROTC, I’m an enlisted veteran), scholarships are merit-based (meaning you should receive the scholarship so long as you meet and maintain certain requirements, typically of an academic nature). Look into schools’ websites and ROTC contacts to determine the requirements for the scholarships. This will give you good indication if you will receive one or not if you decide to join ROTC. But, yes, as I understand it, if you participate in the ROTC program, but do not receive their scholarship(s), then you will be footing the bill for college.</p>
<p>Alternatively, tuition in the AF is free for enlisted airpersons (with some restrictions to max amounts per year, etc). Also, once you have completed a certain time in service you are eligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill, which will pay for college (again, with certain restrictions) once your enlisted service contract is complete. You can also take CLEP tests for free, as many as you want to your heart’s content. The obvious disadvantage is that completing your education will be slow moving since you will have other commitments with your AF job during the day (or other times). It would most likely be difficult to take a full load of classes in any term and you will most likely be limited to college campuses that are local to your duty station (base) or online programs. But again, once your serivice contract is over, then you will be able to utilize your GI Bill with more freedom of choice, etc.</p>
<p>If you know you want to be an AF or Army officer, then you should definitely speak with ROTC representatives for schools in which you would be applying to and talk with them about the scholarships and what requirements must be filled for eligibility of receiving them. If it looks like you may not be able to meet these requirements, then you may want to look more into the enlisted option.</p>
<p>Let us know if there are more questions. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. I will get into contact with the ROTC detachment at the school I am looking to attend. And also schedule a meeting with an Air Guard recruiter.</p>
<p>Honestly I’d also take a look at other schools. ROTC will cover your tuition no matter the costs, so there’s no financial reason to only look at your local state school.</p>
<p>ROTC does NOT necessarily cover 100% of tuition. In fact, most ROTC scholarships do not.</p>
<p>If you want to be a leader in the military, it is a good way to go.<br>
I would caution you that fitness is important. You do not want to be the one dragging others down because you didn’t work out enough, or fail a PT test and lose the chance at the job you wanted.</p>
<p>^Agreed: ROTC can cover full or partial college costs. OP won’t know what may be covered for him/her until they speak with someone more familiar and applies.</p>
<p>Google gave me what seems to be a nice breakdown of the scholarship programs and process/eligibility (apparently there’s an actual application process that HS students must go through and a 3.0 GPA is required . . .)</p>
<p>EDIT: OP, click on that link and on the left hand side you can see “Overview”, “Eligibility”, and “Application Process Overview”. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>This link under the “Academic Requirements” shows that to be eligible for any AFROTC scholarship a student must have a 3.0 GPA and a 26 ACT (OR 1180 SAT).</p>
<p>It even provides a table for last year averages. Apparently, the averages for the Type 7 scholarship include a 1278 SAT, 28.6 ACT, and a 3.77 GPA.</p>
<p>OP, do you think you can bring your ACT up a few points and otherwise be academically competitive? If not, then it may be that you will still end up paying for a good portion of your college education by non-ROTC scholarship means. Remember, the figures given in the table are averages, so students with lower stats than what is shown were granted scholarships. IMO, as long as you can get that ACT up past the 26 mark, then you would look competitive with a 3.9ish GPA. You will also need to pass a Physical Fitness Test by the end of your first semester of college.</p>
<p>If this makes your officer plans look out of distance, then don’t let this deter you. Consider retaking the ACT or SAT for higher scores, get involved with a school sport this coming year to stay in better physical condition, and evaluate the application process. Of course, I still suggest you run your aspirations by a figure of authority in an ROTC program and see what they say.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you may still consider the enlisted option. This option allows you to finish as much of your education as you can using Active Duty tuition waivers and free CLEP tests, then you can use your GI Bill when your obligation is over. Also, there are always a handful of enlisted personnel who turn into officers - they’re called “Mustangs” - at least that’s what we called them in the Marine Corps. Consider this as a future possibility as well.</p>
<p>You can go the ROTC route (scholarships are competitive) or you can graduate from college and go through OCS to be an officer. I know the Army and Navy has OCS programs. You still have to be in good physical condition since you will be doing PT daily.</p>
<p>Oh, fair enough! I knew a few people at my undergrad that were doing the ROTC route, but I imagine to get in to the school would have made a Type 1 scholarship the easy part. :)</p>
<p>(They also weren’t Air Force, so maybe things were different because of that.)</p>
<p>What ROTC scholarships will be depends on if it is Air Force, Army or Navy ROTC. Each branch of service works a different way. I had an Army ROTC Scholarship that paid for my school. My DD is applying for both Army and Navy ROTC Scholarships. airbazinga - If you could get your ACT/SAT scores up, you could be very competitive, especially for an Army ROTC scholarship. Do an internet search for ARMY ROTC Scholarship and start your application now and then insure your are scheduled for the next round of testing. Army ROTC scholarships generally pay for all tuition at the schools you get the scholarship to. If you don’t get one of the national based scholarships this year. You can got to college, enroll in ROTC and if you do very well, vie for a 3 1/2, 3 year or 2 year on-campus scholarship. One last route to consider is the SMP (Simultaneous Membership Program). The Simultaneous Membership Program allows you to attend Army ROTC and serve in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard at the same time. It gives you an opportunity for additional training and experience. Cadets serve as Officer trainees in the Reserve or National Guard while completing college. You can earn Reserve/Guard pay and benefits in addition to your Army ROTC allowances. This can be a great way to help fund your college expenses if you are very interested in being in the service and becoming an officer, but need some financial assistance for school.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the input, guys. I really appreciate it. I will be retaking the ACTs for the third time in Sept. I have begun considering the idea of SMP with Army ROTC because I just really don’t feel competitive as far as the 4 year scholarships go, but you don’t know unless you try, right? I seriously need help paying for college. I have had literally NO leadership positions in HS apart from being a crew leader for two weeks detasseling (you might have to Google that if you don’t come from an ag. community haha). I’m really painfully shy and I’ve let it hold me back for years. But I am willing to learn, I am a hard worker, and if I know I have something to work towards then I’m going to get there. I want to join as an officer for the challenge, I want to better myself and help other soldiers/airmen. The jobs I’m looking at are the Human Resource Officer, Financial Manager, or Emergency Management.</p>
<p>For previous ROTC grads or current cadets, do you think a shy person with no leadership experience can be successful in ROTC? Enough to earn a scholarship?</p>
<p>The lack of leadership roles and if you lack ECs, it will be a detriment to your scholarship because you will be competing with other students who have high academic credits, too, and involvement with sports, scouting, etc. I still think you should apply, as you have nothing to lose. You will be forced to come out of your shell to take on leadership positions to be successful in ROTC and leading others in the military. It doesn’t mean that you have to change your personality, but you will be out of your comfort zone. It is definitely possible.</p>
I seriously need help paying for college. I have had literally NO leadership positions in HS apart from being a crew leader for two weeks detasseling (you might have to Google that if you don’t come from an ag. community haha). I’m really painfully shy and I’ve let it hold me back for years. But I am willing to learn, I am a hard worker, and if I know I have something to work towards then I’m going to get there. I want to join as an officer for the challenge, I want to better myself and help other soldiers/airmen. The jobs I’m looking at are the Human Resource Officer, Financial Manager, or Emergency Management.</p>