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New Mexico State University

Frequently Asked Questions US Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)

  1. What is Army ROTC?
  2. When I enroll in ROTC, am I joining the Army?
  3. How do students benefit from Army ROTC?
  4. Does ROTC offer scholarships?

  1. What is ROTC?

    • Army ROTC combines courses in military science with summer training sessions to turn college students into top-quality Army officers. The classes are available at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the nation. ROTC is a college elective course -- Not and academic course major. Classes are taken in conjunction with the regular academic course load. Overall, ROTC classes normally occupy about four hours a week-- leaving plenty of time for other classes and an active social life.
    • For most ROTC students, called cadets, it takes a total of four years to complete ROTC. During the Basic Course, the first two years of ROTC, cadets tackle subjects like military history, first aid and the customs of the Army. There is constant emphasis on leader development.

  2. Am I joining the Army?

    • While enrolled in the Basic Course, cadets normally don't have to make a commitment to serve in the Army. The final two years of ROTC, called the Advanced course, is the first point at which most cadets must make a commitment to serve. In both the Basic and Advanced Course, uniforms, military textbooks and all items of equipment are furnished at no extra cost.
    • For students who do not take ROTC during their first two years of college, a compressed version of the Basic Course is available each summer. This six-week training session, called Leaders Training Course (LTC), gives students a condensed version of the first tow years of ROTC. LTC is fast-paced and challenging. While attending Basic Camp at Fort Knox, KY, students receive a salary. The full cost of their housing, transportation and meals is provided by the Army.
    • It is important to note that students have no obligation to serve in the Army just because they decided to attend LTC. But successful completion of LTC does give students the skills and credentials necessary for enrollment in the Advanced Course.
    • To ensure they become well-rounded leaders, cadets in the Advanced Course study subjects as diverse as math reasoning and human behavior. Practical experiences supervising others is gained at weekly training sessions called Leadership Labs. And they prepare themselves for the future with courses in computer literacy.
    • Putting together all the elements they have learned, cadets attend Leader Development Assessment Course (LDAC) for a 32 day session during the summer between their junior senior years. The training is tough and the hours are long at NALC, but with completion, cadets move ever closer to their goal of becoming Army officers.
    • The reward for all the hard work comes on graduation day when cadets leave their alma mater as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Others will fulfill their military obligation as citizen-soldiers, through service in the Army National Guard or the Army Reserve.

  3. How do students benefit from Army ROTC?

    • Although ROTC is a military-oriented program, the value of its training is recognized by business leaders. Studies have shown that ROTC graduates have a definite advantage when seeking employment in the corporate world.

  4. Scholarships

    • Another advantage of participating in the Army ROTC program is the opportunity to compete for 2, 3 & 4 year scholarships. All ROTC scholarships are merit based. Both scholarship and non-scholarship cadets enrolled in the Advanced Course receive a tax-free subsistence allowance. This allowance ranges from $250 to $400 dollars a month depending on class (i.e. Freshmen through Senior).  Additionally, $900 dollars a year is given to scholarship recipients to help pay for books and other fees.