Naval ROTC Visit At Hickman

On Tuesday, December 11, a group of representatives from the Naval ROTC program from the University of Missouri visited the Hickman campus to encourage students into the program. During a meeting that afternoon, we discussed the different qualifications you need for the scholarship and what you may expect upon entering the program.

Founded in 1926 and introduced to Mizzou in 1946, According to their website, the Naval ROTC Program “was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the United State Navy and Marine Corps. This program fills the vital need in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.  According to their website, “the core values of the program are Honor, Courage, and Commitment, which are seen as the “bedrock foundation” upon which the character of every successful officer stands.”

Students may compete for the NROTC (Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps) Scholarship after completing a semester in the program. This includes financial benefits, which may begin as early as the start of sophomore year. To be eligible for the program, you are required to have a 2.5 GPA (3.0 recommended), including a passing score on the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) and be overall physically qualified for the program.

The NROTC Scholarship program comes with multiple benefits, including full tuition, educational fees, and uniforms. Students are allowed to major in any degree, however, navy students must complete two semesters of Calculus and two semesters of Calculus-based Physics. Students under the Navy option must serve 5 years of active military service, with Marine Corps students needing 4 years (additional years of active military service may be required depending on your assignment).

There are multiple scholarship programs students can apply for, such as the “2-year”, “4-year”, and “College” programs. The 2-year program covers the final 2 years of college and provides tuition, fees, textbooks, and uniforms. The 4-year program covers full tuition at either the University or Columbia College, all educational fees are paid for, $375 stipend for each student each semester, all uniforms are provided, and all naval science textbooks are provided. The college program covers all uniforms, all naval science textbooks, and the subsistence allowance for a semester is $350 for juniors and $400 for seniors.

Students attending Columbia College are allowed to participate in the MU ROTC program through the cross-town enrollment program. They can attend Naval Science classes on the MU campus and fully participate in the Naval ROTC program. Columbia College also offers a limited number of room grants for students on ROTC scholarships.

The NROTC program at MU has the same goal as any other NROTC program in the country, and that is to develop Midshipmen morally, mentally and physically, and to make sure they are ready for the highest levels of commitment, sacrifice, and honor. They are always seeking to grow the population of qualified young men to participate and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the program whatsoever.