Do Non-Contracted SMP Cadets pay more money for ROTC classes their first year vs. if they did not take ROTC classes their first year?

2021-05-29T18:05:27-04:00

I am in the Reserves(so I do not have tuition assistance like the NG). Deciding...because I already went to BCT and AIT. Could I save more money?

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made May 29 at 2021 6:19 PM

2021-05-29T18:19:22-04:00

Talk to the ROTC recruiting officer. He/she can advise on costs along with obtaining any potential federal benefits from Reserves

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2021 6:32 PM

2021-05-29T18:32:57-04:00

Why do you think you don't get tuition assistance? USAR gets the same TA that Regular Army gets. It just doesn't come with the extra state specific perks that some states offer.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2021 7:28 PM

2021-05-29T19:28:27-04:00

What I meant to ask was am I myself paying more money out of pocket for taking ROTC classes my first year(because I am non-contracted) or would the cost of tuition be the same(tuition obviously depending on the college I am going to)?

Response by COL Jon Thompson made May 29 at 2021 8:27 PM

2021-05-29T20:27:41-04:00

That’s a question for your financial aid office. They can tell you if the school bills by credit hour. The school I just came from did not charge extra for students carrying a full tome load of between 12-18 hours. And as some others said, you should be eligible for Federal TA so look into that, even if you don’t complete ROTC. Finally, if it doesn’t cost anymore, I strongly encourage you to take all of the ROTC classes. BCT and AIT are not the equivalent ROTC classes even if they do provide you credit for those.

Response by CPT Daniel Cox made May 30 at 2021 2:57 AM

2021-05-30T02:57:24-04:00

I don't know how long the SMP program has been around. After Plebe Year ended in 1977, I left West Point to attend Claremont McKenna College in California. They have a great ROTC Program. I also joined the Army Reserves. I got nothing besides my Reserve E3-E4 Pay for my Sophmore Year. I received a Two-Year ROTC Scholarship and was told I had to leave the Reserves.
That is when everything screwed up. I graduate from ROTC in May 1980 and received orders to start Chemical Corps Officer Basic Course in July. I get to Inprocessing and find out they do not have any knowledge or records for my two years Active Enlisted, my time at West Point, or my year in the Reserves. The entirety of my enlisted 201 file had not made it out of the dental unit I was assigned at what it is now Joint Forces Training Base - Los Alamitos. As a person who always understood the importance of keeping your own copy of things so at least I entered active duty as an officer with proof I had been what I claimed.