ROTC Financial Aid and Scholarships

Scholarship Eligibility
All of our scholarship options have the same minimum requirements:
– Be a U.S. citizen
– Be between the ages of 17 and 26
– Have a high school (or college) GPA of at least 2.50
– Have a high school diploma or equivalent
– Score a minimum of 1000 on the SAT (math/verbal) or 19 on the ACT (excluding the required writing test scores)
– Meet our physical standards (depends on age, gender, and height – ask us!)
– Agree to accept a commission and serve in the Army on Active Duty or in a Reserve Component (Army Reserve or Army National Guard)

Scholarship Benefits
Army ROTC scholarships all provide the same benefits. The choice in the type of scholarship that is right for you depends on how many years you want the benefits for, and in what component (full-time or part-time) you wish to serve after you graduate and commission as a Second Lieutenant.

1. Full tuition and fees -or- up to $5000 per year in room and board, whichever you choose
2. Book allowance of $1200 per year, paid $600 per semester
3. $420 per month stipend for living expenses.

National 4-Year Scholarship
Primarily targeted at high school students, the National Scholarship is open to anyone between 17 and 26 years of age. Prospective students can compete nationally for a 4-year scholarship. Those who win the National Scholarship can apply their benefits to any university they choose, so long as they have an ROTC program. That makes the potential value of the National Scholarship in excess of $200,000 or more. If you are interested, apply here.

Guaranteed Reserve Force Duty Scholarship (GRFD)
A good option for Graduate Students.

The GRFD Scholarship is only for those students who are certain that they do not want to enter Active Duty (full-time job) but wish to enter into the National Guard or the Reserves (part-time jobs). It is irreversible. The benefit of the GRFD is that it guarantees you a part-time job with a Commission in the Army, and it allows you to pursue a civilian career simultaneously. Students accepting this scholarship are obligated to an 8-year commitment to the National Guard or Reserve Forces, with a commitment to attend Drill duty one weekend a month and a 2-week training period each year.

GRFD Scholarships are offered in increments of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 years. The 3.5 and 4-year option (called a Minuteman Scholarship) requires a nomination from the state TAG (the National Guard Adjutant General) or the state CASA (Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army).

Campus-Based Scholarship
So, you don’t think you are competitive for the National Scholarship, or you are already a College Student? There are still ways that we might be able to help. At BSU, we offer 2-year, 2.5-year, and 3-year campus-based scholarships, depending on how much time you need to complete your degree. Applications for the scholarship must be submitted by August 1 of each year, and you must interview with the Professor of Military Science. The number of scholarships awarded varies from year to year, based on the amount of funds allocated to BSU from the Department of Defense. To apply, contact the ROTC enrollment scholarship officer at (208)496-4709 or armyrotc@byui.edu

Additional Eligibility Considerations

• Meet the same minimum requirements as the National Scholarship.
• Must already be enrolled in ROTC.
• The award of campus-based scholarships is at the discretion of the BSU Professor of Military Science and his board of cadre. You are competing locally and with students from our affiliated schools, Northwest Nazarene University, Brigham Young University – Idaho, and Idaho State University.

There are three options for current Active Duty Soldiers to enter the Green to Gold program:

1. 2-year Active Duty Option. Applicant competes in a centralized Army selection board to be assigned to complete their degree and earn a Commission as a 2LT, while remaining on Active Duty. Soldiers who have 4 semesters or 6 quarters remaining towards their first Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree are eligible to compete. Soldiers can use their GI Bill, grants, or loans to pay for the tuition. The use of Tuition Assistance is not available in this program.
2. Scholarship Option. Applicant again competes in a centralized selection board. Under this option, the Soldier is discharged from the Army, forfeits all pays and allowances, and must contract in ROTC. The scholarships are offered in 2, 3, or 4 year scholarships with either tuition or room and board, like with other ROTC scholarships. Under this option, the Soldier can use their GI Bill, grants, and combine it with other scholarships. There is a Hip-Pocket Scholarship option where the applicant does not compete in a centralized board. Instead, a Soldier’s Commanding General can nominate from 1 to 5 Soldiers for the scholarship.
3. 2-Year Non-Scholarship. Applicant must contract prior to leaving Active Duty. Upon ETS, the Soldier enters the SMP program. The applicant can compete for a GRFD scholarship once in the program.

Green to Gold Eligibility

• Sign an ROTC contract before ETS from the Army
• Scholarship recipients must be < 31 by 31 Dec of the year of commissioning (No Waivers)
• ADO/Nonscholarship students must be < 30 years old at the projected time of commission (Waivers are authorized)
• GT Score: 110 (No Waivers)
• Cumulative GPA of 2.5 (Waivers are authorized)
• Pass APFT <6 Months of Application (No Waivers)
• Meet height/ weight standards (No Waivers)
• Chain of Command favorable recommendations (No Waivers)
• US Citizen (No Waivers)
• Not a conscientious objector (No Waivers)
• Eligible to re-enlist (No Waivers)
• PMS Letter of Acceptance (No Waivers)
• Favorable Clearance Investigation approved or initiated (No Waivers)
• SAT/ ACT – minimum 1000/19 (Waivers for score authorized)
• Cannot have been convicted of a Domestic Violence Crime (Lautenberg Amendment) (No Waivers)
• No arrests, indictments, or convictions by a civil court for other than minor traffic violations (Waiverable)
• Minimum of 2 years Active-Duty time served (Waiverable)
• Must meet Training Service Obligation (Waiverable)
• Qualified/Waiver Granted DODMERB Medical Exam IAW AR 40-501

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.