NROTC colleges, or, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, are definitely something to consider if you are entering the Navy Nurse Corps or the Marine Corps.
From scholarship opportunities, scholarship benefits, entrance into some elite colleges with no student debt, to your training as a future serviceman or officer, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps college program could definitely do you good as a young US citizen ready to serve your country.s
The purpose of these colleges is to prepare, educate, and train any young men or women who have been qualified to join the unrestricted line of these corps and as a result, these NROTC colleges are responsible for becoming the largest source of Marine and Navy Corps officers.
But, what exactly do these young, future officers get out of attending one of the several NROTC colleges, and what is their primary purpose, and are they worth your heavy consideration?
The Purpose of Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Colleges
NROTC colleges are dedicated to training as well as providing a quality education for any men and women seeking to enter the unrestricted line, which includes the Navy Nurse Corps and the Marine Corps.
Their duty and purpose are to turn students into mature officers, as well as help them develop a character of core values such as loyalty, moral mentality, integrity, and much more.
According to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps official website, their mission is to “develop midshipmen mentality, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, and loyalty, and with the core values of honor, courage and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval service, and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.”
The website also includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps’ “Sailor’s Creed,” which must be taken by these potential officers in order to establish a relationship of respect and obedience between them and the Constitution of the United States.
The Creed states: “I am a United States Sailor. I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me. I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world. I proudly serve my country’s Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment. I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.”
Overall, there is a repeat of three essential words: honor, courage, and commitment. In fact, these are capitalized in the Sailor’s Creed.
It is extremely important that if you go into the military to serve, protect, and represent our country, that you have the qualities of a true and trustworthy American, and the Navy and Marine Corps realize that as well as heavily emphasize it throughout their program.
Therefore, we see that the basic purpose of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps is to establish a character in future servicemen and officers of honor, courage, and commitment.
Who Can Apply for NROTC Colleges?
To become a part of and apply for the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, you must meet a number of requirements to receive eligibility for application.
These include Program Entrance Requirements:
However, there are also many benefits that come with applying for these programs.
Applicants can receive a variety of scholarship opportunities and benefits, such as full tuition at one of the colleges on a list made by the program, stipend for textbooks, mandatory fees being paid for by the program, allowances for each academic month, and even three summer cruises.
All of these are listed in full detail on the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps’ website.
There are also separate benefits for two and three year scholarships and the Navy ROTC Program.
NROTC Colleges List
Not all colleges are supported by the Naval Reserve Training Corps, and not all majors, either.
Instead, the program has compiled a list of cooperating colleges that students have the choice to attend, and a given list of majors organized in tiers of which the program supports. A few of these colleges are:
All of the above listed colleges apply for the Navy ROTC, alongside a few others.
Basically, what this means is that when you become a part of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program, you receive all of the scholarship opportunities and benefits that are relevant to you and that you have received eligibility for if you choose to go from one of these select schools on the list.
A full list of all the colleges and universities supported by the program can be found on the Naval Reserve Training Corps’ official website, along with their addresses and telephone listings.
Also, on the page you can find out which majors are supported by the program, which includes a variety such as science majors, math majors, foreign language majors, business majors, and much more.
However, it’s important that you double check to ensure that your planned college and major are both in line with the program’s list and regulations.
Program Entrance Requirements for NROTC Colleges
The program entrance requirements are the rules you must follow prior to receiving eligibility to apply for the program. Once these requirements have been met, anyone can apply to become part of the program.
Also, students who already have 30 (or more) semester hours of college or students who have 45 (or more) quarter hours of college are not eligible for the Navy ROTC National Scholarship.
This means that if you already have completed your entire freshman year or parts of your sophomore of college credit, then you are no longer applicable for the national scholarship provided by the program. In order to receive eligibility, applicants must previously have no college credit or under 30 hours of credit. This includes any dual credits completed in high school.
Applications can be submitted either online or through recruiting offices. For example, if you are seeking to gain entrance into the Navy or Nurse option program, your application can be submitted online or through any Navy recruiting offices, and the same for any Marine Corps applicants.
However, while these covers most of the requirements set in place for entrance of the program, the Naval Reserve Training Corps has a detailed list of all the requirements as a whole available on their official website.
Are Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Colleges Right for You?
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) colleges have been established by the US Navy and Marine Corps to provide a multitude of students willing to give their service to the military an equal opportunity to a college education, while also being trained for service on the unrestricted line.
The shaping of noble characters, such as honesty, courage, and commitment are all priorities of the Naval Reserve.
So, if you are looking to enter either of these branches of the military, the military would in turn like to thank you with these scholarship opportunities and benefits, of which you should very heavily consider as a soon to be serviceman or woman.