Frequently Asked Questions

No. You must be a student at BU, BC or NEU to be part of the NROTC program at Boston University. The MIT NROTC Unit has agreements with Harvard and Tufts. If you are at a community college, you can apply for the 2-Year NROTC Scholarship by February 15 of your sophomore year. You must also apply and get accepted to one of the aforementioned universities. Until you are enrolled in one of those six institutions, you cannot participate in the Boston NROTC program.

You will not receive a NROTC scholarship unless you are found physically qualified for the NROTC program. It is imperative that you are physically and medically qualified before beginning classes. If you are attempting to gain a waiver for some disqualifying physical condition and you start classes at the university, you will be responsible for payment of tuition, fees and books for that semester. If you are later found physically qualified for a NROTC scholarship during that same semester (i.e. your waiver is granted), your tuition, fees and book expenses can be reimbursed (on a case-by-case basis). If you are found not physically qualified for the NROTC program, tuition, fees and book expenses will not be reimbursed. If you are not sure if you are physically qualified, or if you need information on how to get a waiver, please contact NSTC or the recruiter who helped process your application.

If you don’t earn a scholarship after the end of your sophomore year, you will automatically be considered for a 2-year Advanced Standing offer. If awarded, the Midshipman will receive a stipend every month during the school year for the remaining two years. Upon graduation, the Advanced Standing Midshipman receives the same commission as the Scholarship Midshipman.

If not selected for Advanced Standing, you will automatically be considered for 1 year of Provisional Advanced Standing with stipend benefits. Students on Provisional Advanced Standing will be reviewed again after their Junior year to determine if they may be awarded another year of Provisional Advanced Standing or a 1-year scholarship. If neither status is awarded, the student will be released from the program with no obligation.

Navy Option scholarship students who commission as Surface Warfare Officers, Submarine Officers, Special Warfare Officers, Explosive Ordinance Disposal Officers, and Nurse Corps Officers are obligated to serve 5 years of active duty service along with 3 years of inactive reserve service. Navy Option scholarship students serving as Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers are obligated to 8 and 6 years respectively of active duty service after receiving their wings of gold. Marine Option Scholarship students are obligated to 4 years of active duty service.

Boston NROTC Parent Handbook

No, the NROTC Scholarship does not pay for room and board. However, Boston University does offer a grant to BU scholarship Midshipmen that covers the full cost of room and board. More information can be found here. Boston College provides all midshipmen a meal plan and often provides senior year housing free of expense. All housing arrangements and room and board allocations are made through the university, not through the NROTC unit.

Midshipmen are required to take one Naval Science class each semester for four years. These classes provide instruction on the history of the Navy to shipboard operations and engineering. Students are also required to attend a Leadership Laboratory in uniform every Wednesday morning, alongside physical training (PT) 1-3 times a week. If students are on scholarship, they are required to attend approximately one month of summer training for three consecutive summers.

Throughout a midshipman’s time in college, a number of “cruises” will be offered and/or required. The initial training, known as New Student Indoctrination (NSI), occurs prior to freshman year for Midshipmen that receive a scholarship in their final year of high school. Midshipmen who later obtain a scholarship may be required to attend NSI as college sophomores. This program, conducted at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, provides foundational training for incoming midshipmen.

During the summer between freshman and sophomore year, scholarship midshipmen attend Career Orientation and Training for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID).  During CORTRAMID, students are familiarized with the various communities of the Navy and Marine Corps. One week is dedicated to the exploration of each community: surface warfare, submarines, aviation, and the Marine Corps. Depending on availability, Midshipmen may attend CORTRAMID either in San Diego, CA, or Norfolk, VA.

A scohlarship midshipman’s second class cruise occurs between their sophomore and junior years of college. For Navy options, the second class cruise will give midshipmen exposure to the enlisted community. While underway on a surface ship or submarine, the Midshipmen will be assigned a highly motivated enlisted “running mate” while performing duties at sea.  Marine midshipmen attend Fleet Marine Force (FMF), during which they are further exposed to the active duty Marine Corps. Midshipmen may also attend other summer programs during this timeframe, most notably ProjectGO: a program in which qualified ROTC students travel to partner countries to study languages of strategic significance.

First class cruises occur during the summer before a midshipman’s senior year. The first class cruise is designed to provide the Midshipman with exposure to their service communities of interest. On board submarines and surface cruises, Midshipmen are assigned a junior officer “running mate.” On aviation cruises, midshipmen are assigned to aviation squadrons. Candidates for special operations communities (SEAL/EOD) attend intensive screening processes. Limited opportunities exist for other cruises, such as a Foreign Exchange (FOREX) cruise with allied navies abroad. Marine option midshipmen attend Marine Officer Candidate School, a rigorous assessment of their physical, mental, and leadership potential. Upon graduation from OCS, candidates earn their Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (EGA) and their titles as United States Marines.

Nurse option Midshipmen are required to attend NSI. However, the rest of their cruises will be different, offering exposure to the nursing and medical communities of the fleet.

Yes, the Marine and Navy Scholarship process is different. However, some Midshipmen are allowed to transfer between Navy and Marine options if they so desire while they are in NROTC. College Program Midshipmen are also allowed to be Marine Options and work for a Marine Scholarship. College Program Marine Option Midshipmen must earn a scholarship by the end of their sophomore years in order not to be disenrolled. If the Marine Option Midshipman earns a scholarship, he or she is required to serve 4 years of active duty. Further questions should be directed to the MOI.

Interested and capable Navy option Midshipmen may exercise and train alongside Marine Options as part of the Semper Fidelis Society (SFS).

Absolutely. If a student hasn’t been granted a scholarship, he or she can join the NROTC college program, and will be required to do everything a scholarship student does. College program students (students that don’t have scholarships) do not go on summer training. By demonstrating their motivation by joining the NROTC program without any guarantees, College Program students have improved chances of picking up a scholarship. The College Program students are reviewed for scholarship selection twice a year. Selection is based upon the student’s grades and overall aptitude in the program.