The Military Options for College Education

T his is an update on two articles I wrote about Service Academies (PHS #132) and ROTC Scholarships (PHS #117). In this article, I will review the Service Academy and ROTC Scholarship opportunities and include several more opportunities few people know about. There is way more information that I can squeeze into this article, so I’ll provide an overview and direct you to where you can get more information.

Federal Service Academies

There are 5 Federal Service Academies:

• US Military Academy, West Point, NY
• US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
• US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
• US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT
• US Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY

These often rank among the top institutions in the country. They provide what I consider the best education in the country. Students receive free tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and a small stipend. In return, graduates provide at least five years of service.

Although each academy has a unique profile they look for in a candidate, here are some general criteria:

• High academic performance
• High SAT/ACT scores
• Strong athletic and extracurricular activities
• Leadership experience
• Community service
• Nomination

Nomination Process

Except for the Coast Guard, all candidates for the Service Academies must be nominated by one of these sources:

• President of the US
• Congressman from your district
• Both your state’s Senators
• Congressional Delegates from US Territories and Governor of Puerto Rico
• Vice President of the US
• Active, Reserve, and National Guard enlisted members
• College and High School ROTC units
• Children of Deceased/Disabled Veterans, POW, and MIA
• Children of Medal of Honor recipients

Each source has a specific nomination process. Each academy has instructions on their website.

More detail on Service Academies can be found on their website. General information is available at www.thoughtco.com and www.todaysmilitary.com.

Service Academy Prep Schools

Army, Air Force, and Navy each have a Prep School for candidates who show potential but need additional development before attending an academy. Candidates for service academies who are not offered appointments are automatically considered for the Prep School.

• Air Force Academy Prep School (www.usafa.edu/prep-school/)
• West Point Prep School (www.westpoint.edu/usmaps)
• Naval Academy Prep School (www.westpoint.edu/usmaps)

Coast Guard and Merchant Marine have specific programs on other college campuses:

• Coast Guard Scholars Prep Program (uscga.edu/cgas/)
• Merchant Marine Academy Prep at NMMI (www.nmmi.edu/admissions/academy-prep/)

Academy Summer Programs

Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard have summer programs for rising high school seniors for orientation to the academies:

• West Point Summer Leadership (www.westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program)
• Air Force Academy Summer Seminar (www.academyadmissions.com/prepare/high-school/summer-seminar/)
• Naval Academy Summer Seminar (www.usna.edu/Admissions/Programs/NASS.php#fndtn-panel1-Steps-For)
• Coast Guard Academy Summer Program (https://uscga.edu/admissions/aim/)

ROTC

ROTC – Reserve Officer Training Corps – commissions most military officers. For most students, ROTC is part of the academic program with military drill and exercises sprinkled in. Army, Air Force (includes Space Force), and Navy (includes Marines) ROTC:

• Army ROTC ( www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/find-your-path/army-officers/rotc/scholarships.html)
• Air Force ROTC (www.afrotc.com/scholarships/)
• Navy ROTC ( www.navy.com/education-opportunities/college-options-and-scholarships?q=what-to-expect/education-opportunities/college-options-and-scholarships)
• The Minuteman Army Reserve Scholarship (www.usar.army.mil/MinutemanCampaign/) provides many of the benefits of an ROTC Scholarship, but without an active-duty commitment.
• The Coast Guard Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) Scholarship Program provides two years of paid college and a pathway to a commission.
  ( www.gocoastguard.com/get-started/officer-applications/college-student-pre-commissioning-initiative-cspi-scholarship)

Here’s the Student Guide for ROTC Programs (www.bestcolleges.com/resources/rotc-programs/)

Senior Military Colleges

In addition to Service Academies and ROTC, there are 7 Senior Military Academies. The Citadel and Virginia Military Institute are full military schools with cadets living in barracks and wearing uniforms every day.

• The Citadel (www.citadel.edu/corps/)
• Virginia Military Institute (www.vmi.edu/)

The following operate as self-contained military schools inside a civilian college campus. Some have separate dorms and cadets wear uniforms every day.

• Norwich University (www.norwich.edu/)
• University of North Georgia ( ung.edu/military-college-admissions/index.php)
• Texas A&M Corps of Cadets (corps.tamu.edu/)
• Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (vtcc.vt.edu/)
• Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (marybaldwin.edu/vwil/)

I will insert a secret/hidden college with a unique Corps of Cadets – Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX (www.tarleton.edu/cadets/).

Maritime Academies

Often overlooked are the Maritime Academies:

• California Maritime (www.csum.edu/)
• Great Lakes Maritime (www.nmc.edu/maritime/)
• Maine Maritime (mainemaritime.edu/)
• Massachusetts Maritime (mainemaritime.edu/)
• SUNY Maritime (NY) (www.sunymaritime.edu/)
• Texas A&M Maritime (www.tamug.edu/corps/)

More info on Maritime Academies ( www.maritime.dot.gov/education/maritime-academies/maritime-academies)

The Maritime industry is the highest paying exit industry for college graduates.

Military Junior Colleges

There are four Military Junior Colleges. These are unique in that they offer the Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program where a student can be commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army after only two years of college (Associate Degree) and completion of military training. They also offer prep programs for candidates for the Service Academies and ROTC scholarships.

• Georgia Military College (www.gmc.edu/corps/)
• Marion Military Institute (marionmilitary.edu/)
• New Mexico Military Institute (www.nmmi.edu/)
• Valley Forge Military College (www.nmmi.edu/)

New Mexico and Valley Forge also have a military secondary school.

Whew! That a lot… but there’s more…

Military Medical Scholarships

The military has the Health Professions Scholarship Program for:

• Medical (MD & DO)
• Dental
• Veterinary
• Nursing
• Counseling and Clinical Psychology
• Optometry

These scholarships include full tuition for up to four years, books, equipment, and school fees, Monthly stipend of $2608, up to $20,000 sign-on bonus, plus officer’s pay during breaks.

There are also Medical Stipend Programs for those in the Reserves: www.medicineandthemilitary.com/applying-and-what-to-expect/part-time-service-options

National Health Service Corps Scholarship (nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/overview) for those who serve in the Public Health Service (www.usphs.gov/) who are paid and have the same benefits as the military. They work under the Surgeon General in the Department of Health and Human Services and have the additional responsibility of providing medical care to the Coast Guard.

Plus…

The military has its own medical school – the Uniformed Services University (www.usuhs.edu/) to train medical personnel for the military and Public Health Service. Students are commissioned prior to attending, draw officer’s pay and full military benefits while attending at no cost.

Service Academy High School STEM Programs

The Naval Academy and West Point have Summer STEM programs:

Naval Academy STEM for grades 9-11 (www.usna.edu/Admissions/Programs/STEM.php#fndtn-panel1-Attending)

West Point STEM for grades 6-9 (www.westpoint.edu/centers-and-research/center-for-leadership-and-diversity-in-stem/middle-and-high-school-stem-workshop)

Plus…

The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) hold several summer camps on military bases: (www.same.org/camps/)

My Advice for Homeschoolers

I have helped homeschoolers get into every Service Academy and earn every ROTC Scholarship and placed students in many of the programs listed here. Early in the article there were some general criteria. Here are specific advice for homeschoolers:

1. Take Dual-Credit courses, CLEP Exams, and DANTES exams to validate the rigor of your academics.
2. Get into team sports and seek leadership.
3. Have an individual sport, particularly a combative like Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Fencing, Skeet, etc.
4. Get military experience in Civil Air Patrol, Sea Cadets, Young Marines, etc.
5. Join Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Eagle Scout and Gold Award are important.
6. Volunteer and Public Service (presidentialserviceawards.gov/).
7. Start the Congressional Award (www.congressionalaward.org/).
8. Get a job or start your own business.
9. Seek Boys State and Girls State summer between junior and senior years.
10. Join Rotary Club or other national level service organization.
11. Get into shape – Service Academies use the same fitness test.
12. Make sure you do not have any physical disqualifications.
13. Take the SAT/ACT early and often.
14. Apply to the Summer STEM Programs at Navy and West Point and SAME Summer Programs.
15. Apply to the Academy Summer Programs before the senior year.

Closing

In previous article I shared how I received an Army ROTC Scholarship, commanded a Field Artillery unit in Germany, and used the military of get my master’s and Ph.D. My military service also help pay for college for my two daughters as part of my state veteran’s benefits.

The military is a great way to pay for college, gain incredible experience, and serve others with your professionalism and leadership.

Dr. B.