Navy ROTC Scholarship Program
The Navy NROTC Scholarship Program awards four year scholarships through a highly competitive national selection process and includes full tuition, books, fees and other financial benefits at Northwestern University or Loyola University Chicago. As a scholarship midshipmen you incur no obligation to the Navy until your sophomore year. Upon graduation, midshipmen are commissioned as officers in the unrestricted line Naval Reserve. Students selected for the NROTC Scholarship Program must apply for admission at Northwestern University or Loyola University Chicago and take the normal course load required by the university for degree completion. Further, scholarship midshipmen are required to follow additional academic guidelines.
NROTC Marine Option
The purpose of the Marine Option Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program is to educate and train highly qualified young men and women for careers as commissioned officers in the United States Marine Corps. Like Navy option scholarship midshipmen, you incur no obligation to the Marine Corps until your sophomore year. Upon graduation from Northwestern University and successful completion of required courses and training, a Midshipman is appointed a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. See the Official Marine Corps Officer Website to learn more about the career options for newly commissioned officers.
NROTC Nurse Option
The NROTC Nurse Option program is available to students interested in pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing (B.S.N.). Upon graduation from Loyola University Chicago, students will be commissioned as reserve Ensigns in the United States Navy Nurse Corps.
Navy ROTC College Program
Students at either Northwestern University or Loyola University Chicago who have either missed the NROTC Scholarship deadline, or were not selected for the NROTC Scholarship can still join the NROTC program at Northwestern University. As a College Program midshipman you will be a fully integrated part of the battalion and will incur no obligation to Navy until your Junior year. Additionally, while in the program you will have several opportunities to apply for various NROTC scholarships, including a 2 or 3-year scholarship. Historically, most Northwestern College Programmers successfully receive a three year scholarship after joining the battalion.
STA-21
What makes the STA-21 Program so different from most of the other commissioning programs is its fairness to the Sailor. Some of the previous enlisted commissioning programs required Sailors to pay their college tuition by themselves. Others removed the student from active duty status, thus taking away any source of income. The STA-21 Program will keep all participants on active duty at their current enlisted pay grade. This means they will receive all the pay, allowances, benefits, and privileges they currently enjoy and will still be eligible for enlisted advancement while in the program: Time spent in school will not count towards retirement, however, it will count towards pay purposes. Sailors will receive up to $10,000 per year to cover tuition, books, and fees. The Sailor will pay any costs above $10,000 per year. Participants attending inexpensive universities that do not require use of the entire $10,000 for any year will not be able to keep the difference.
Although the applicant’s history of fleet performance will receive consideration during the selection process, emphasis will be placed on the identification of those applicants who possess the academic and leadership potential necessary to become outstanding Naval officers. See the Official STA-21 Website for more information.
Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP)
The MECEP is designed to provide outstanding enlisted Marines the opportunity to become Marine Corps Officers. MECEP is open to all active duty Marines and Marines in the Active Reserve (AR) program who meet the eligibility requirements. Marines successfully completing the program receive a Baccalaureate Degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Selection is based on an individual’s potential for commissioned service as demonstrated by their service record, previous academic record, and evidence of career and academic self-improvement. See the Official Marine Corps Website for requirement information.
Health Professionals Scholarship Program (HPSP)
The Pre-Med Option is for those who ultimately want to become a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. This program offers up to $200,000 of undergraduate tuition coverage, a monthly stipend and a book allowance. Students participate in NROTC while obtaining their undergraduate degree and then must apply to medical school, either a civilian school or the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The program will then allow you to pursue medical school on a full scholarship, ultimately earning a commission in the Navy as a Naval Medical Officer. The program includes a 20,000 dollar signing bonus and a monthly stipend in medical school exceeding $2,300 to support you through your education. Through this program, you will incur a maximum 4 year service requirement. You will also be required to attend and pass Officer Development School. If you are not accepted into medical school then participants will commission into the Navy as unrestricted line officers and will owe 4 years of service.
To apply, applicants must have a High School GPA of at least 3.5 or SAT score of 1300 or ACT score of 28. Applicants apply as Navy Option and opt in to the Pre-Med Option during the application process. The application must be submitted by December 31 to be considered as a Pre-Med option, but can be considered as a Navy Option for the rest of the board cycles.
For more information please visit these sites:
NROTC NAVY PRE-MED PROGRAM OPTIONNROTC PRE-MED OPTION SCHOLARHSIP PROGRAMNavy Health Professions Scholarship Program