The Citadel offers commissioning opportunities in all branches of the armed services. While every cadet must successfully complete a course in one of four programs each semester of their freshmen and sophomore year, cadets are not required to enroll in any ROTC commissioning program nor are they required to accept a commission should it be offered.
All cadets are required to satisfy an ROTC requirement for every semester in which they are enrolled at The Citadel. Study abroad cadets will complete ROTC requirements via independent study/online; see respective ROTC department for approval. If extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the cadet require that he/she withdraw from or not enroll in ROTC, the cadet who is pursuing or may wish to pursue a commission must have the permission of the head of that ROTC Detachment. The cadet who is not pursuing a commission must have the permission of the academic advisor and the Associate Provost. Cadets who miss or fail an ROTC class must meet that requirement in order to graduate. When cadets are making up a missed ROTC requirement or changing to another ROTC, they are not, without permission of the head of the ROTC Detachment, permitted to enroll in an ROTC class at a level lower than their academic class. For example, a member of the senior class who wishes to change to another ROTC must enroll in a senior-level course in the new ROTC unless the head of the ROTC Detachment authorizes enrollment in a lower level course. ROTC classes may not be used to meet elective requirements in any course of study.
ROTC Enhancement
The Service to Country Scholarship Program has been established to assist the Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC Detachments at The Citadel in bringing the best and brightest officer candidates to the school. Prospective students must have a minimum 1200 SAT (or 27 ACT), a minimum high school GPA of 3.2, and have accepted an ROTC scholarship prior to matriculation as a freshman at The Citadel in order to be considered. Recipients of the scholarship will receive an annual award of $3,500 for each year in which they receive the ROTC scholarship. Recipients of the Service to Country Scholarship will be notified by The Citadel’s Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships.
A student must maintain a 3.0 minimum GPA to maintain the Service to Country Scholarship. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of the scholarship. The Service to Country Scholarship will not be reinstated once it has been lost.
Students who are awarded an ROTC Scholarship after matriculating at The Citadel are not eligible for an Armed Forces Scholarship.
Army ROTC Program
The mission of Army ROTC is to commission the future officer leadership of the U.S. Army and to motivate young people to be better Americans. Army ROTC is the only commissioning program that offers future officers the opportunity to serve in the regular Army as well as the National Guard or the Army Reserve. Regardless of cadets’ academic majors, there is an Army specialty that can fulfill their goals.
U.S. Army ROTC Graduates
Graduates of The Citadel’s Army ROTC program, who have accepted a contract, have the opportunity to serve their country in a variety of branches and specialties. Those cadets who have excelled academically and militarily, both in the classroom and at the ROTC Advance Camp, and who have clearly demonstrated high character and outstanding leadership ability, will be selected as Distinguished Military Students.
Graduates of the Army ROTC program may serve as officers on Active Duty, members of the United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Those who desire to be in the National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve will serve on active duty to complete their officer basic course, and then serve as a “citizen soldier” in a Reserve or Guard unit near their homes, graduate schools, places of employment, or in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). No matter what type of option is chosen, the total obligation is eight years of active or reserve duty, or a combination of both.
Scholarships
The Army sponsors 4-, 3-1/2-, 3-, 2-1/2-, 2-, and 1-year academic scholarships for outstanding cadets who desire careers as officers in the United States Army. High school students must apply before 17 January of their senior year for four-year and three-year Advanced Designee scholarships. Applications may be obtained at www.armyrotc.com. The application process for two-year and three-year Campus Based Scholarships begins in November of the cadet’s freshman (three-year) and sophomore (two-year) years. The Army scholarship currently pays tuition and fees or room and board for qualified applicants. The amounts are adjusted annually due to institutional tuition and fee changes.
Cadets interested in Reserve Component Duty can apply for a two-year Dedicated or Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Scholarship or for a two-year Dedicated Army National Guard Scholarship in November of their sophomore year.
Pay and Allowances
Cadets enrolled in the ROTC Basic Course, who are academic freshmen or sophomores, receive a uniform allowance each academic year. Cadets who are in the Advanced Course (junior and senior years) and contracted with the Army to be commissioned when they graduate receive a uniform allowance. Additionally, contracted cadets will receive a non-taxable subsistence allowance of $420/month for ten month of the school year. All scholarship students receive a textbook allowance of $600 per semester. Between their junior and senior years, all contracted cadets attend a four-week Advance Camp and receive one-half of the base pay of a Second Lieutenant plus travel to and from either Charleston, SC, or their home of record.
Summer Training
Outstanding cadets also have the opportunity to attend U.S. Army training such as Airborne school, Air Assault school, Mountain Warfare training, and/or Cadet Troop Leadership Training (CTLT) with active duty Army units around the globe. Cadets are allowed to enlist or retain their membership in the Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve under the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP).
Formal Enrollment Requirements
The basic requirements for enrollment in the Army ROTC program must be fully met before the Professor of Military Science can consider a cadet for enrollment in the Army program. (Cadets not meeting these standards are not eligible for commissions or ROTC monetary allowances.) To be eligible, a cadet must:
- Be a citizen of the United States of America.
- Be of good character. Cadets convicted by a civil or military court of offenses other than minor traffic violations are not eligible for enrollment without specific approval of the Department of the Army. A cadet may apply for a waiver for a conviction, provided the offense was nonrecurring and did not involve moral turpitude.
- Maintain a satisfactory academic record. A minimum of a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required.
- Maintain a satisfactory disciplinary record and leadership rating. This rating is determined by the Professor of Military Science.
- Pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet/maintain the required height and weight standards.
- Be physically and medically qualified under Department of the Army medical standards.
Formal enrollment in the Advanced Course and contracting requires a cadet to meet all of the above criteria, and validation of these criteria is normally done during the cadet’s sophomore year. Waivers for physical defects are granted only in exceptional circumstances, and then only by the authority of the Department of the Army.
Navy/Marine ROTC Program
The purpose of the Navy and Marine Corps NROTC Program at The Citadel is to educate and train cadets for professional service as officers in the U.S. Naval Services. The Citadel’s NROTC Program is uniquely suited to provide extensive operational training opportunities as a result of being located in proximity to several military bases and training facilities. Additionally, frequent visits to The Citadel and the Charleston area by operational Navy and Marine Corps units provide several “hands-on” training evolutions for students in The Citadel’s NROTC Program.
Two programs are offered by the NROTC Program, leading to commissions as Ensigns (Navy) or Second Lieutenants (Marines):
- The Navy/Marine Corps Scholarship Program includes selected Naval Scholarship candidates assigned to The Citadel who have their tuition and a portion of their college expenses paid by the Department of the Navy and will be commissioned upon graduation.
- The Navy/Marine Corps College Program is that part of the NROTC Program in which students, who have not received national NROTC scholarships, pursue education and training for commissions in the Navy or Marine Corps. College Program students are eligible to compete for Naval Scholarships while students at The Citadel, or may be selected for Advanced Standing within the College Program.
Naval ROTC Scholarship Program
Navy/Marine Corps Scholarship students are selected through national competition and attend one of the colleges or universities with NROTC units. The Navy/Marine Corps Scholarship midshipmen attending The Citadel may enroll in any academic major offered by the college. However, all Navy option midshipmen, regardless of major, are required to complete MATH 131 /MATH 132 or MATH 106 /MATH 107 and PHYS 221 /PHYS 222 (with associated laboratories). All Navy/Marine Corps midshipmen are required to be enrolled in the Service Specific Naval Science Labs. All four-year Navy and Marine Corps NROTC Scholarship students receiving a commission must also attend three summer training sessions with pay. In return, the Department of the Navy, via The Citadel NROTC Unit, provides tuition, certain fees, a textbook allowance, a uniform allowance, and a monthly subsistence allowance. Upon graduation, NROTC Scholarship midshipmen receive commissions as Ensigns in the U.S. Navy or Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Marine Corps and serve on active duty a minimum of five y ears. For additional information, please see the NROTC website at www.nrotc.navy.mil and NROTC Unit, The Citadel’s website at www.citadel.edu/marines/ and www.citadel.edu/navy/.
Naval ROTC College Program
The NROTC College Program is offered for cadets who wish to earn commissions as officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps but were not recipients of NROTC Scholarships. College Program students are required to enroll in Naval Science classes, participate with the NROTC Unit in scheduled training and events, and may compete for a variety of other Naval Scholarships offered by the Chief of Naval Education and Training. Each year a number of College Program cadets at The Citadel may receive one, two, or three-year NROTC scholarships.
Additionally, some College Program students, who have not previously been offered Naval Scholarships, may be selected for Advanced Standing prior to beginning their junior year. Students selected for Advanced Standing must attend a minimum of one summer training course, with pay, usually the summer after their junior year. College Program students in Advanced Standing will be provided with all Naval Science textbooks, an annual uniform allowance, and a monthly subsistence allowance during the junior and senior years. Upon graduation, these Naval cadets receive commissions in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marine Corps and serve on active duty for a minimum of four years.
Formal Enrollment Requirements
To be eligible for enrollment in the Naval ROTC program, cadets must:
- be citizens of the United States;
- have reached the 17th anniversary of their birth by September 1 of the year enrolled;
- not have reached their 27th birthday by December 31 of the year they expect to graduate (this can be waived); and
- be physically qualified. (Defective vision must be correctable to 20/20, and waivers for color blindness may be considered.)
- Additional program entrance requirements may be found at www.nrotc.navy.mil.
Those cadets not qualified for or not desiring formal enrollment in either the Scholarship or College Program may participate in Naval Science courses for academic credit only. They will not be eligible for appointment to a commissioned grade.
NROTC Summer Training
NROTC Scholarship Midshipmen
- Required to complete up to four summer training courses of two to six weeks duration
- First Summer Training Course
Navy and Marine 4-year scholarship recipients will attend New Student Indoctrination (NSI) before matriculating as freshman. NSI is a physically demanding 2.5 week indoctrination course designed to provide standardized basic military instruction to Midshipmen Candidates. This course will facilitate the successful integration of new students into NROTC and college life.
- Second Summer Training Course
Navy and Marine midshipmen will attend Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID). CORTRAMID provides midshipmen with a four week indoctrination to career fields in the Navy and Marine Corps. The midshipmen will receive exposure to operations in each of the following communities:
Aviation
Submarine Warfare
Surface Warfare
Marine Corps
- Third Summer Training Course
Navy midshipmen will serve aboard an operational ship or squadron in the fleet to work with and gain exposure to Enlisted sailor life. Additionally, Navy midshipmen will participate in a two week leveling crucible called “Sea Trials” that will evaluate the midshipman under pressure and allows for the successful demonstration of watch standing, seamanship, fire-fighting, and damage control.
Marine midshipmen are set to undergo training at Marine Corps bases located on either the East or West Coast. Their training will encompass land navigation, small arms handling, small unit tactics, and field craft, under the guidance of active component Marines and Sailors. This program will provide them with exposure to various military occupational specialties within the Marine Corps.
- Fourth Summer Training Course
Navy midshipmen will serve aboard an operational ship or squadron in the fleet to work with and gain exposure to Junior Officer life.
Marine midshipmen will attend Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia.
Advanced Standing College Program
- College Program students are required to attend one summer training course, usually the summer between their junior and senior year.
- Navy midshipmen will serve aboard an operational ship or squadron in the fleet to work with and gain exposure to Junior Officer life.
- Marine midshipmen will attend Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia.
Transportation costs to and from the sites of the training will be covered by the Department of the Navy, and cadets will earn summer training pay during the period of training.
Summary of Estimated Naval ROTC Allowances
Navy/Marine Scholarship Program:
Each scholarship pays tuition and registration, college, hospital, and laboratory fees outlined in this catalog. In addition, the following payments are also made by the Navy Department:
- Uniform allowance-paid over four years
- Subsistence allowance-monthly-gradually increases with academic standing
- Summer training pay
- Book allowance, paid each semester
Advanced Standing Program
Navy Department reimbursements for students enrolled in the College Program are:
- Uniform allowance-paid over one year
- Subsistence allowance-monthly-gradually increases with academic standing
- Summer training pay
Naval ROTC Active Duty Commissioning Program
Active Duty students belonging to the Seaman-to-Admiral 21 Program (STA-21) or Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) are exempt from having to enroll in ROTC courses every semester. STA-21 Active Duty students are only required to complete Naval Leadership and Management (NAVL 201 ) and Naval Leadership and Ethics (NAVL 403 ) ROTC courses in order to meet graduation and commissioning requirements. MECEP Active Duty students are required to complete Evolution of Warfare I (NAVL 303 ), Fundamentals of Maneuver Warfare (NAVL 402 ), and Naval Leadership and Ethics (NAVL 403 ) ROTC courses; however, the Professor of Naval Science may grant waivers for Evolution of Warfare and Fundamentals of Maneuver Warfare if these courses cause an academic overload and result in a graduation delay. Additionally, all Active Duty students must also enroll in Navy or Marine Corps Training Labs each semester. The Senior Leadership Integration Seminar (LDRS 411 ) is not a graduation requirement for Active Duty students.
Air Force ROTC Program
The mission of The Citadel’s Air Force ROTC Detachment is to develop Air and Space Force leaders of character whom we can expect to fight and win our nation’s wars. Emphasis is placed on the preparation of dedicated professionals who readily accept responsibility, think critically and creatively, and write and speak effectively. AFROTC cadets commission into one of the 50+ officer career fields available. Whatever your interest, there is likely an Air Force or Space Force career to match.
Four-Year Program
The Air Force ROTC program is designed to be a four-year commissioning program. To enroll in the program, cadets should register for the academic class (AERO 101 ) and leadership laboratory (AERO 450 ) at the beginning of their freshman year.
Freshmen and sophomore cadets study the organization, mission, and functions of the Air Force and Space Force, benefits of service, career opportunities, as well as fundamental leadership, followership, and communication skills they’ll need throughout their time in the program and on Active Duty.
During sophomore year, cadets will compete for a spot within the Professional Officer Corps. Those who earn a spot will attend a three-week summer field training course between their sophomore and junior years that evaluates their ability to critically think & lead through various leadership scenarios.
Junior and Senior cadets study leadership in theory and practice, serving as leaders within the cadet wing. They also study the principles and functions of management, problem solving, the military justice system, the role of the professional officer, and U.S. National Security Policy. In addition, cadets receive final preparation prior to entering Active Duty.
Formal Enrollment Requirements
To be eligible to pursue a commission through the Air Force ROTC Program, a cadet must:
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Maintain a minimum 2.0 Term & Cumulative GPA;
- Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment;
- Pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT);
- Maintain height & weight standards;
- Be of good moral character;
- Be medically qualified by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB);
- Successfully complete a summer field training course;
- Agree to serve on Active Duty for a set amount of time.
- Most career fields require a four-year commitment.
- Pilots require a ten-year commitment after completion of pilot training.
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft/Combat Systems Operator/Air Battle Manager require a six-year commitment after completion of training
AFROTC Field Training
Citadel cadets pursuing a commission through AFROTC are required to attend a three-week summer training course at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL between their sophomore and junior years. Field training is a memorable experience in which cadets get an introduction to Air Force life and operations. Each cadet receives practical guidance in leadership, small-arms familiarization, physical training, and expeditionary operations.
Officer Development Training
The vast scope of Air Force and Space Force operations is difficult to portray in the classroom. Air Force ROTC offers Officer Development Training (ODT) opportunities to deserving cadets. Some of our ODT opportunities include: base visits, flight school programs, Space Force summer trainings, Air Force Academy Freefall Parachute Training, Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program, Combat Rescue Officer Program, National Reconnaissance Office Summer Internship, Language Enable Airman Program, and more. Cadets return to school with a better perspective of the Air Force & Space Force’s operations and global nature.
AFROTC Scholarship Programs
Scholarships are awarded under three separate programs. The High School Scholarship Program (HSSP) is open to graduating high school seniors. The In-College Scholarship Program (ICSP) is open to college freshman and sophomores. The Charles McGee Leadership Award is awarded to all cadets after successfully completing field training, if all eligibility criteria are met.
High School Scholarship Program
The Air Force ROTC High School Scholarship Program (HSSP) provides four-year scholarships to deserving high school seniors and graduates who have no full-time college experience. Students can apply by completing an online application in the fall of their senior year. Details on how to apply, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and the online application can be found in the HSSP Applicant Guide on www.afrotc.com. Separate deadlines exist for Air Force HSSP scholarships and Space Force HSSP scholarships. Selection is based on: GPA, SAT/ACT score, Air Force Fitness Assessment, extracurricular activities, leadership potential, AFROTC interview, and desired academic major.
HSSP scholarships cover college tuition and authorized fees, but not room & board. The Citadel offers a Service To Country Scholarship to incoming HSSP recipients that will cover room & board.
In-College Scholarship Program
The In-College Scholarship Program (ICSP) offers two- to three-year scholarships (up to $18K per year) to deserving college freshman and sophomores in all majors. At The Citadel, all eligible AFROTC cadets are automatically competed each academic year until they go to Field Training (summer between sophomore and junior year). Selection is based on: College GPA, Air Force Fitness Assessment, Commander’s Ranking, and Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT).
ICSP eligibility requirements vary slightly each semester, but typically cadets must:
- Be a United States citizen
- Pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test
- Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative college grade point average
- Complete a physical examination and be certified as medically qualified by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB).
Charles McGee Leadership Award
The Charles McGee Leadership Award (CMLA) is awarded to all qualified cadets after they successfully complete Field Training. It covers up to $18K per year in tuition and fees. This award can be converted to a $10K housing benefit if a cadet already has a scholarship that covers tuition.
Additional Pay and Allowances
All Air Force cadets are provided an annual uniform allowance of $800. Contracted cadets are provided a monthly subsistence allowance, the current rates are: $300 for freshmen, $350 for sophomores, $450 for juniors, and $500 for seniors. Scholarship cadets are also paid an annual $900 book allowance.
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