The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is the best opportunity for you to get invaluable experience while you earn a college degree. When enrolled in ROTC, you learn and develop leadership skills and prepare for a career as an officer in the U.S. military. You will learn firsthand what it takes to lead others, motivate groups and how to conduct missions as a military officer.
The real value of ROTC for you is a world-class leadership training and experience. Beyond your college being paid for, many colleges also include room and board, living allowances and books.
ROTC is an elective curriculum you take along with your required college classes. Along with great leadership training, ROTC can pay for your college tuition, too. You will have a normal college student experience like everyone else on campus, but when you graduate, you will have the opportunity to serve as a leader in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps.
Being an officer is similar to being a manager in a corporation. As an officer, you will lead others in all situations and adjust in environments that are always changing.
Through ROTC, you can start a military career in health care, aviation, finance, engineering, chemistry, law enforcement and transportation, just to name a few. Each of the armed forces has their own ROTC programs. That means that you can choose the service and career path that appeals to you.
Reprinted from Military.com, your online resource for all things military. Visit the no-cost, no-obligation site to learn about the process of joining and the benefits you’ll earn from those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Expert: Anthony Bryant
School: Clemson University
Title: Assistant professor of aerospace studies
What’s ROTC like day to day? Our cadets are students first and cadets second. We emphasize grades and graduation while providing the leadership and management training cadets will need upon entry into the Air Force. They learn to march, to instill the need for teamwork, and command and control, and we do a lot of teambuilding activities such as overcoming obstacle courses as a team. The cadets do physical training twice a week and must meet minimum physical standards.
What’s the financial benefit? Newly commissioned lieutenants earn approximately $40,000 per year (varies based on housing allowances at different locations). There’s a $500 per month pay raise after two years, and a $1,000 per month pay raise after two more years.
What are some other benefits? Thirty days vacation with pay, federal holidays off, paid medical and dental, low-cost term life insurance, unlimited sick leave with pay, tax-free shopping, tuition assistance of 100 percent is available for one advanced degree.
Expert: Captain Lindsey H. Decker
School: University of Missouri-Columbia
What’s ROTC like day to day? ROTC as a program offers many things for students to get involved in. Lab is only two hours a week and focuses on practical exercises where the cadets are assigned leadership duties, and their skills and techniques are critiqued by senior cadets and cadre. Additionally, physical training is scheduled from 6 to 7 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are also numerous extracurricular activities the cadets can join on a voluntary basis, such as Ranger Challenge Team, Best Ranger Buddy Team, Bataan Death March Team and Color Guard.
What’s the financial benefit? We offer competitive scholarships to students who must meet some basic eligibility requirements. The scholarship pays 100 percent tuition, $900 a year for books and a monthly allowance that starts at $300.
Search for more than
2.2 million scholarships!