Would going ROTC MO be my best bet if I wanted to go back and get a second Bachelor's in nursing?

2018-05-19T22:20:39-04:00

Unhappy with my career, I enlisted in the Army NG to try something new. Only to find out with a Bachelor's I'm out of luck when it comes down to getting TA or anny real GI benefits to jump into another degree program. Sadly this was omitted by my recruiter. Now that I'm a 68W and liking the medical field I really want to go back to school most likely for nursing but I'm not ready to incur more student loan debt. Would going ROTC MO be my best bet? Could I still be entitled to the scholarship and stipends?

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2018 3:13 AM

2018-05-20T03:13:34-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member, I don't know how hard they are pursuing Nurses right now, but they usually need them. Pursue a 4 year nursing scholarship through a ROTC recruiter at a university you want to attend. Most of them will bend over backwards to get a male nursing cadet. The 4 year scholarship is the best way to go. It comes with the stipend, book fees, and some universities will add to the scholarship. Don't know what you could do with the GI bill. I wouldn't try to do this any other way. Let the ROTC recruiter work for you to help you gain admission to the university and to get the scholarship. I had a 4 year nursing scholarship out of high-school. Obviously I didn't finish on that track, but the university went to great lengths to help me out.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made May 20 at 2018 9:08 AM

2018-05-20T09:08:07-04:00

OK, have you tried the most obvious route and checked with an AMEDD recruiter? Why not let the Army pay of it and pay you at the same time?
Another choice would be to see if changing MOS to a 68C, Practical Nurse, is possible and then try to transition from there. Pretty new MOS and they were looking for for bodies.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2018 9:37 AM

2018-05-20T09:37:56-04:00

As CPT Lawrence Cable said, AMEDD recruiters are your best bet. There are some great programs - HSPS, STRAP, etc. Look into Green to Gold. Lots more options than ROTC for prior service.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2018 11:45 AM

2018-05-20T11:45:43-04:00

While I was a reservist I used a combination of TA, STRAP, and driving to an active duty base for their Education Center. Got my ASN-RN first then used STRAP to get my BSN. Went active shortly after for anesthesia school. There are many ways to work around this. Active offers an enlisted commissioning program specifically for soldiers wanting to get their BSN and be commissioned. Tuition paid and soldier keeps current rank and pay while in school.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made May 21 at 2018 3:50 PM

2018-05-21T15:50:48-04:00

https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/programs/nursing.html

Nurse Training & Scholarship Program

With Army ROTC, nurses have a unique opportunity to enhance their leadership skills while utilizing helpful programs & scholarships from the U.S. Army.