Frequently Asked Questions

A. The purpose of the Naval ROTC Program is to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy and the Marine Corps.  As the largest single source of Navy and Marine Corps officers, the Naval ROTC Scholarship Program plays an important role in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.

A. Program entrance requirements can be found on the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps website, https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/Requirements/.

A. Due the restrictions imposed on the SAT & ACT administrators by the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic eligibility for the FY21 Navy or Nurse Option NROTC Scholarship has been modified as follows:

Applicants must

EITHER

Have the following SAT or ACT scores:

  • SAT: 540 Math; 550 Verbal Evidence Based Reading and Writing AND 1100 Combined (Math plus Evidence Based Reading and Writing)
  • ACT: 21 Math; 22 English AND 44 Combined (Math plus English)

See https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/Requirements/ for details

OR

A cumulative High school GPA of  2.75 (on a 4.0 Scale) AND a 2.0 grade (on a 4.0 Scale) in Algebra II (or equivalent course) AND a statement from their high school guidance counselor or senior JROTC instructor certifying that SAT and ACT testing was not reasonably available to the applicant.

 

A. The scholarship covers full tuition at Oregon State University, regardless of residency.  Scholarships also cover mandatory fees, uniforms and Naval Science textbooks, $250 per quarter for textbooks (up to $750), and a subsistence allowance each academic month ($250/month for freshmen, $300/month for sophomores, $350/month for juniors, and $400/month for seniors).

A. Yes.  You may join NROTC via the “College Program.”  College Program NROTC midshipmen participate alongside scholarship NROTC students and may apply for three- and two-year scholarships during their freshman and sophomore years, respectively.

A. Yes. Midshipmen who enter their junior year in College Program status will receive a subsistence allowance each academic month ($350/month for juniors and $400/month for seniors).  Uniforms and Naval Science textbooks are also provided, as well as pay during summer cruise training.

A. No. The scholarship selection process is independent of the Oregon State University admission process. In order to join NROTC, you must apply and gain admittance though the normal university admissions process.  However, being accepted by NROTC is one more accomplishment to list in your university application package.  Please let us know if you are awarded an NROTC scholarship and are having trouble with Oregon State University Admissions.  We can ensure Admissions is aware that you have been awarded a scholarship. 

A. No. Room and board expenses are not covered by the NROTC scholarship.  However, need-based scholarships are often available due to generous support from Oregon State University, NROTC alumni, and the local community. Midshipmen who find that room and board payments represent a financial hardship should notify their class advisor and investigate Oregon State University’s financial aid program.

A. Probably.  When you applied for a NROTC scholarship, you listed your five school choices.  Once selected, the NROTC admissions office assigned you to a school based on your choices.  If you were not admitted to the assigned school, or you changed your mind, the NROTC admissions office can help you transfer your scholarship to Oregon State University NROTC.

A. Navy option scholarship midshipmen are obligated to serve a minimum of five years of active military service once they begin their sophomore year in NROTC.  Additional service requirements may be required for specific job assignments (e.g., naval aviators are required to serve a minimum of eight years of active military service upon graduation from flight school).

Marine option scholarship midshipmen are required to serve at least four years on active duty.

College Program (non-scholarship) midshipmen are required to serve at least three years on active duty after commissioning.

A. Correct.  Scholarship midshipmen have one year to determine if they are suited for the NROTC program before they incur an obligation. 

A. Navy option midshipmen will graduate as unrestricted line officers. That means that they will receive follow-on training in conventional or nuclear-powered surface ships, submarines, aviation, or special warfare.  Marine option midshipmen receive air combat, ground combat, or logistics assignments.

A. Yes. Assignments are made based on each midshipman's desires, qualifications, performance, and needs of the Navy or Marine Corps. Scholarship status is not a factor in the assignment process.

A. When you submit your scholarship application, you will have checked either the Navy or Marine Corps box on the form. The box you check will determine the route that your application will take. The Navy and Marine Corps conduct separate scholarship selection boards.

A. No.  The scholarship selection process is independent of the medical examination.  You can be selected as a scholarship nominee even before you take the medical exam.  However, your scholarship benefits will not be activated until you have passed your medical exam.

A. The Navy does not guarantee flight school. However, Oregon State University midshipmen who have solid academic performance, good military aptitude, high scores on the aviation aptitude exam and are physically qualified, have an excellent chance for aviation assignment. The Marine Corps does offer flight guarantees, provided physical and aviation aptitude requirements are met.

A. A few top midshipmen are selected each year to go to graduate school, but the vast majority will enter the military after graduation.  However, the Navy and Marine Corps provide opportunities to earn graduate degrees later on, while on active duty and receiving full pay.

A. Possibly, but unlikely. The opportunity to continue to medical school is extremely limited, with less than 10 offerings nationwide each year. If admitted to medical school, students attend immediately following graduation. Under this program, medical students begin to serve their obligation following their residency. 

A. Yes.  There are many study abroad opportunities during the summer and academic year, funded by Oregon State University and the Navy.  Oregon State University NROTC students have recently studied abroad in Chile, Scotland, and other countries.  Planning ahead is the key to studying abroad while meeting all university and NROTC academic requirements.

A. In most respects, it is the same. However, Marine option midshipmen are not required to take calculus and physics courses. Marine option midshipmen also take different Naval Science courses in their junior and senior years, and in the summer after their junior year they attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. They are guided in their development by our Marine Officer Instructor, and upon graduation they are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps.

A. For summer cruise training information, see the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps website, https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/Summer-Cruise/.

A. Summer cruise training is a required part of our curriculum, but it only lasts four to six weeks and midshipmen are paid approximately $550 per month.  You should still be able to work for part of the summer.

A. Yes. NROTC and Academy graduates have the same opportunities to go into the fields of their choice. Midshipmen with the highest academic and military aptitude rankings, regardless of where they go to school, will be most likely to receive their choice of assignment.

A. No. NROTC midshipmen are only required to wear the uniform on Naval Science Lab day, which is one day a week during the school year.

A. Yes. Yes. Yes.  NROTC midshipmen are fully integrated with other university students.  Oregon State University does provide a special interest living community for ROTC midshipmen and cadets (from Army and Air Force ROTC) on the seventh floor of Finley Hall; however, living with other ROTC students is completely optional.  Many midshipmen have been varsity and club athletes, and many have been research fellows.  Others have been participants and leaders in various groups and organizations on campus and in the community.